Living the Streets of Gold
by Wkdly.Rita
Summary: Sequel to 'Winter in NYC'. With Einstein's ageing becoming more apparent, and Oliver's new friend finding her feet after a run-in with a dangerous gang of dogs, Dodger and Rita are feeling the effect of big changes in their lives. With her relationship with Dodger under strain, could Rita finally reconcile with her estranged sister? Major re-writes complete as of September 2015.
1. Back on the Streets

When spring came at last it was met with much relief. The warmer weather made a great deal of difference to Einstein in particular, as the cold had made him more stiff and uncomfortable in his old age. As the change swept through, a spring was back in his step, and for the time being at least, Einstein was not feeling his age so much.

Rita woke slowly, there was no real rush as they were going through a good spell. She was vaguely aware of Tito and Francis bickering. It was a sign she'd overslept, clearly they'd both been up long enough to get on one another's nerves, granted, that didn't always take long. Rita sighed- for all that they were at each other, Francis and Tito were very close, but the noise wasn't exactly welcome for someone trying to enjoy a comfortable lie in. Still, it was not worth the effort to sort them out. She rolled over, trying to block the noise out. Blearily looking across the barge, she saw that Dodger was still fast asleep. She smiled and watched him for a few moments. Things were good between the two of them, and Dodger had been happier since Oliver had worked out how to get to and from the barge without assistance, and so visited more often. Rita was startled by a wet splash on her snout and looked up to see Einstein standing over her, drooling.

"Good morning!" Einstein said cheerfully.

"Morning, Einy." Rita smiled. She didn't particularly enjoy being dribbled on, but it was hard to begrudge Einstein that, he couldn't help it. She shook herself and got to her feet. Instantly, Francis and Tito fell quiet, knowing that Rita was prone to snapping at them when they fought. Rita was rather satisfied by their response to her presence, it sure made life easier. As always, her first port of call for the morning was to greet Fagin who was resting half-asleep in his chair, with a lick (or several) and an enthusiastic series of tail wags.

Rita then sidled up to Dodger's bed, having decided that he'd slept long enough. "Dodge, you awake? You know you've got work to do, right?"

Dodger opened one eye and grinned, seeing an opportunity for mischief. He quickly grabbed Rita by her ear, and with a paw over her side pulled her roughly off her paws and onto his bed. She laughed as they tangled playfully, sending Dodger's cushions flying. It was only moments before the pair slid to the floor in a heap, and needing no more encouragement, Einstein and Tito were on top of them biting and growling, with Francis only a short way behind.

"Great job, Dodger, look what you've started." Rita said, after pulling herself briefly from the flailing mass of paws and teeth. Caught up in the good feeling of the morning, she was soon back in the fray. After all, _someone _needed to kick the boys into line.

"Woah, woah- calm down! It's a bit early in the day to be scrapping, come on- no! Enough!" Fagin's words fell on deaf ears as he got up to sort his dogs out. "Looks like we'd better get going, you've all got to burn some energy off. Come on boys, cut it out!"

Finally the rumble died down as everyone was eager to get out into the city. Still laughing as they headed out, Rita walked close to Dodger and exchanged an affectionate glance. Stepping out into the sun, Rita took a moment to appreciate the beautiful day. The water was shimmering in the bright light, and the city was full of colour- and so inviting.

"You comin', Rit?" Dodger called her from the back of the scooter, budging up a little to encourage her to sit beside him.

* * *

Arriving back at the barge mid-afternoon after a productive day, Rita was surprised to see someone already there.

"Hey kid, how long have you been waitin' here?" Rita greeted Oliver with a friendly nuzzle. He was now a little over a year old and filling out, becoming quite a large cat. Even though he was now a young adult, Oliver was still referred to by the dogs as 'the kid', not that he particularly minded.

"Not too long, I wasn't really sure what time you'd be back- I really better get back home soon as Jenny's finishing school for the day." He was a bit disappointed that everyone was out when he came to the barge, it was always quite hit-and-miss when he visited during the day.

"I'll take you home if you want, I could probably get you back quicker."

"You don't mind?"

"Nah, it's no problem. I get to catch up with you properly that way." Rita wagged her tail cheerily.

The pair headed back out onto the docks and started towards Oliver's home. Rita crouched, inviting the cat to ride on her back. Being more used to riding around on Dodger's back (with a bandanna to hold on to!) Oliver was sure to hang on tight, his paws around Rita's neck, careful not to dig his claws in. It wasn't actually too uncomfortable, Rita moved much less erratically than Dodger did, with long, graceful strides. It was only when she started leaping around through the traffic that Oliver had to struggle slightly to stay on board.

"It's great that I can see you guys more often, now I know my way around a bit more," Oliver said, as Rita came back onto the pavement.

"Yeah, I know Dodger's been enjoying havin' you around as well," Rita responded.

"Maybe I could bring Evie sometime, she's gotten a whole lot more confident."

Rita slowed down a little. "I don't know if that's a good idea, kid. If she got into trouble with Flint's gang before, someone might recognise her- you could both end up in way over your heads. And then we'd have to help you out. Honestly, kid, it could get messy. It will be best for everyone if she stays home where she's safe."

Oliver was disappointed. "I didn't think of that so much. What are the chances of one of them seeing her in a city of this size anyhow?"

"It's not likely- but you do need to keep in mind how dangerous some of these dogs are. If she really wants to get out more, let us know when in advance so we can come with you both. Just a bit of back up as a precaution."

"All right, that sounds good." Oliver cheered up a little. "Are there a lot of dog gangs around here?"

"Not really, most groups of dogs on the streets are quite loose, there's a lot of coming and going. There are a couple of places where a load of dogs will meet up, but a lot of them don't really know each other. There are a few serious gangs, like Flint's lot, but there aren't many around thankfully. There's some real nutters out there, and they always seem to find each other. It helps if you know who to avoid."

Oliver realised how little he actually knew about the lifestyle he'd left behind all those months ago.

"So how did you guys all get together then?" he asked.

"Well, to start with it was just Fagin and Einstein, they just sorta found each other. Both of them were on their own before then, so I guess they enjoyed the company. It was just the two of them for a few years, and then Dodger came along- they raised him, and then Dodge brought me home. We were just kids then, Dodge and me, we grew up on the streets. He used to say I was his 'apprentice'." Rita grinned, "Francis and Tito came along later, Fagin found them. It wasn't exactly easy to start with. Francis wasn't really used to livin' with other dogs, or bein' on the streets for that matter. Dodge and I were maybe a bit full on back then, we were teenagers and we didn't exactly make it easy for him. Francis had it in his head that he was better than us, what with his privileged upbringing- but we didn't put up with any of that. Frankie used to always say that we were a bad influence on Tito, but really that was never giving Tito enough credit, he didn't need any influence to be a pain in the tail; it came naturally to him."

Oliver laughed, trying to imagine his friends as adolescents.

"But, it all worked out in the end, I guess some of us grew up- or I did anyway. We're family now, and I wouldn't trade it for anything, I love those guys." Rita finished as she trotted along beside the fence surrounding the park.

He'd never regretted his decision to stay with Jenny, but Oliver couldn't help wondering how he'd have fitted in if he'd never left the gang. He regarded them as his second family, and often felt torn as he wanted to see more of them, especially Dodger, but at the same time couldn't lose sight of his responsibility to Jenny and Evie who both relied on him greatly.

Rita stopped outside the house and gazed through the window. "Best I don't come in, right?"

"Yeah," Oliver said sadly, "Mrs Foxworth's not so keen to have you guys hanging around the house, not now she's home waiting for the baby to come."

"You say 'hi' to Evie for me though," Rita said, "And Georgette as well if you catch her in a good mood."

Oliver chuckled, "It might happen, if we're lucky. I'll see you round then. Thanks for taking me home."

"Anytime, kid." Rita winked and turned to go, "See ya later."

* * *

With work done for the day and Oliver safely back home, Rita had been enjoying the evening out and about with Dodger. They gladly took advantage of the chance to have some time alone together. In the weeks since the change in their relationship they'd both needed to adjust to it all, particularly Dodger who often struggled to keep a lid on his tendency to flirt and play around with random women as he went about the city. Their relationship was pretty relaxed, but Rita did tire of Dodger's antics. Still, things were getting better all the time and both had reached a point where they were content with the arrangement, neither in any doubt of the love the other felt for them. Out on the docks there was no one else around so the pair could freely express their affections to one another without intrusion- in contrast from the usual lack of privacy back at the barge. Dodger was eager to hear how Oliver was, knowing that Rita had spent time with him that afternoon.

"You might have to go 'round and see the kid soon, he's wanting to take Evie out. I figured it would be best if they were accompanied, just to be safe." Rita said, sitting up from a long snuggle with her mate. "Although I think she'd be better off just staying at home. I know she's gotten better, but it wouldn't take much to give her a scare."

"What, you're worried about Flint or something?" Dodger stretched out, completely at ease, "Ya know it's not like those creeps are likely to be hangin' around those parts, there's hardly any chance at all of her getting spotted by anyone. Besides, that was months ago, she looks real different to when she last saw any of them." He knew that Oliver would be around even more often if he wasn't feeling guilty about leaving Evie home on her own.

"You're right, I know you're right." Rita murmured, "It's just the thought of that kid gettin' mixed up in all that…" She shivered involuntarily. Stories of Flint and his gang had reached the ears of just about every street dog in the city… and many dogs Rita knew had friends and relatives that had met a mucky end when they'd crossed those brutes. Others had gone missing after being rumoured to have been involved with Flint. Rita had enough sense to know when to keep away from such dogs, but Oliver was young and naïve, it couldn't be expected of him to stay safe without a bit of guidance.

"Don't worry about it," Dodger winked, "It'll be good to hang out with the kid anyhow, and in the unlikely event of an emergency, they'll have the Dodge to help them out. And if he needs any romantic advice with Evie, who better to help with that too?"

Rita scoffed, "Honey, you are the last person to be giving romantic advice. We're together in spite of your way with the ladies, not because of it." She licked his cheek with a smirk.

"Thanks Rita, it's good to know my contribution to our partnership is appreciated." Dodger nipped at her ear. "Love you."

"Love you too, Dodgie-baby," Rita laughed, and she leaned into him to share in a tender kiss.

Dodger grinned, and nuzzled Rita's chest and neck. He loved being close to her, and their connection had only gotten stronger. Rita gently bumped her head against his and smiled back. Even after all the weeks they'd been together, Rita still felt that same giddy excitement when she was close to him. She exhaled in contentment as Dodger lovingly nuzzled her and allowed her concerns for Oliver to disappear from her mind for a while. With no reason to rush off home, the pair snuggled close and allowed themselves to lose track of time in one another's company.

They headed home some hours later and quietly padded past their sleeping friends. Recently, Winston had gifted Fagin a small sofa-bed, which had quickly become a greatly sought after place to sleep. Fagin was slowly being edged to a smaller and smaller portion of the bed as Einstein happily stretched out, snoring in contentment. Francis was snoozing in the space between Einstein's outstretched fore and hind legs, and Tito was, as usual, using his companion as a mattress. Comfortable though the new piece of furniture may have been, Rita headed straight for her usual bed. In her eyes, the thought of sleeping in such a cramped area was not favourable, no matter how comfy the bed was nor how much she loved her friends. She settled down and closed her eyes, ready to drift off.

"Hey Rit, you want some company in there?"

Rita opened her eyes and saw Dodger sitting beside her bed.

"Really, Dodger? I know I got myself the best spot, but I don't know why you think I'd want to share with you, I don't need keepin' warm. What's in it for me?" She frowned, feigning annoyance.

"Wait, I'll make it worth the intrusion," Dodger made a beeline for his bed, pulled out a couple of cushions and dragged them back across to Rita.

"Nice try, but if there's barely enough room for the two of us, you're not going to win me over by takin' up more of my space." She budged over to one side all the same, "But if you insist…" Rita pulled a pillow in tucked it comfortably under her forelegs and rested her head. "It's a good thing you're just a little mutt, you might be able to squeeze in here."

Dodger lay down next to her, resting his head on her neck. "Night, Rita." He closed his eyes, "We should hang 'round the park tomorrow, might take the kid out for a bit."

"Sounds good," Rita whispered sleepily, "Night, Dodge."

* * *

That night in the Foxworth's grand 5th Avenue house, Oliver was merrily playing with Jenny, tumbling around on her bed. With a new baby on the way, and her parents largely distracted, Jenny was lonely and took a great deal of comfort in the companionship of her animals. Oliver was devoted to her as ever and was concerned that the little girl was struggling with the changes taking place in her life. Evie watched them quietly, smiling to herself.

"Jennifer! I think it's time you went to bed!" A voice came from the hallway.

"Okay Winston," Jenny called back. "That's enough playing for tonight, Oliver, it's getting late." She headed off to wash, leaving her cats sprawled on the bed.

"So Oliver, are you going to take me out into the city soon then?" Evie asked, "You've not mentioned the idea since this morning."

"Sorry Evie, I was going to talk to you about that, I've been so busy taking care of Jenny," said Oliver.

"Jenny's fine, you practically live on her lap, she can't really be lonely with you around."

"But she _is _lonely, and I feel responsible for making sure she's all right." Oliver responded, somewhat defensively.

"I'm not criticising, I think it's sweet that you care about her so much. I'm just not into the constant cuddles stuff myself." Evie stretched out, her body much fuller in figure than when she'd first become a fixture of the Foxworth household.

Oliver laughed, he didn't imagine Evie would ever be the outgoing sort, apart from her friendship with him, she definitely liked to keep herself to herself. "Anyway, I did talk to Rita about taking you out with me," Oliver furrowed his eyebrows, "She didn't seem that keen on the idea actually, which kinda surprised me. She's worried you might get spotted by someone, you know, from back before you came to us."

Evie suddenly looked very unnerved. "But that wouldn't happen, right? They don't really come around these parts I didn't think."

"Yeah, Rita said it's unlikely. I think she just wants to make sure we're careful about it, she said you should go out with the gang so at least you've got some back up in an emergency."

"Really?" Evie sighed, "How am I supposed to actually enjoy myself if I've got five dogs hanging round me the whole time? I like them, really I do, but I don't know if I could handle that kind of situation." Much as she wanted to get out and live a little- and spend more time with Oliver when he went out and about, Evie found the prospect was getting more and more unattractive.

Seeing the look on Evie's face, Oliver rubbed his face against hers in what could best be described as a cat hug, "Hey, we'll sort something out, I promise."

Evie purred appreciatively, and got up and quietly retreated to her own bed, a sturdy basket with a wonderfully soft and squashy cushion. She curled up, and watched as Oliver greeted Jenny, who was now all ready for bed and, as always, settling down with Oliver right by her side.

"Goodnight Oliver, goodnight Evie." Jenny said sleepily.

Evie closed her eyes, and smiled to herself. No matter what, she was grateful for Oliver, she'd never known another cat quite like him and she couldn't imagine having a better friend to help her get through all her troubles.


	2. Picnic in the Park

The sun was shining brightly the next day as the gang headed out to work. As planned, they first paid a visit to the Foxworth home, to invite Oliver out for the day after he'd missed most of them the day before. Hearing the barking from outside, Oliver ran to the window excitedly and quickly made off to join his friends.

"Hey kid, how ya been?" Dodger playfully nudged the cat with his paw in greeting.

"Just you today, huh?" Tito looked hopefully behind Oliver. Disappointingly, Georgette didn't appear to be coming along for the day. With Mrs Foxworth unwilling to have Fagin's dogs wandering through the house, it didn't make it easy for Tito to enjoy a romantic relationship with the pampered poodle… though some might say the distance was the reason it hadn't all fallen apart again.

"Just me; Georgette says she's got a reputation to maintain. To be honest, I'm not really sure if it's me she doesn't want to be seen with or you guys."

"Both, I'd imagine." Francis sniffed.

"But it's been weeks since I've seen her!" Tito shouted in frustration, "It's no good for our relationship if I'm not allowed in there and she won't come out here!"

"What about Evie, is she not wanting to come out with you?" Rita asked over the top of Tito's complaints.

Oliver shook his head, somewhat sadly. "Nope, she's still not keen to be around all you guys at once."

"Her loss," Dodger said coolly, not at all minding that Oliver would not distracted by the pretty young cat, "She'll come around eventually."

"So, what're we doin' today Dodge?" Oliver asked eagerly, choosing not to get too hung up on Evie's continued resistance to joining them.

"We might just hang around the park," Dodger stretched out. "Maybe share in a picnic or two."

"Yay, food! I'm starving!" Einstein bounced along enthusiastically.

"Einstein, feeding you is a pointless exercise, you could consume your own bodyweight and still complain of hunger." Francis said loftily, following behind.

* * *

"Einy, you comin'?" Dodger called over to the Great Dane, who appeared startled to hear his name being called. They were now deep into the park, managing to keep out of the way of dogcatchers and enjoying all the sights and scents. It appeared to Dodger that Einstein had gotten a little too distracted by the goings on around him.

"Sorry Dodger, I got a bit lost." Einstein replied, somewhat embarrassed. He'd wandered away, off in his own little world, and had found himself confused and disorientated once his friends were out of sight. It seemed to be happening to him more and more but he hadn't been letting it worry him.

"How'd ya get lost, we're right over here?" Tito demanded, "You did this a couple of days ago too!"

"I guess I'm just getting confused," Einstein said sadly, "I'll try and pay attention better."

It occurred to Rita that Einstein seemed to be getting confused quite frequently these days, and as she thought about it, she realised that recently he'd been rather forgetful. But then, Einstein wasn't exactly on the ball a lot of the time anyway, it was probably nothing to worry about. He was just being his usual dopey self. Rita pushed the concerns to the back of her mind; today was for enjoying quality time with the kid.

Oliver ran along after his friends, and was pleased to be able to keep up fairly well and finding the rough-housing not nearly as alarming as he had in his younger days. Everyone still made the effort to go pretty easy on him- after all, a dogpile is no place for a cat, but Oliver was happily getting stuck in and giving almost as good as he got. The wide open space meant they could really run, and Rita loved the sense of freedom it brought. Her speed gave her a good advantage in such an area, in that she could make a quick getaway between playful assaults on the others and avoid retaliation. Such a tactic soon led to being targeted by everyone all at once, and very quickly Rita was back in the thick of the scrap. Rain from earlier in the day had left the ground wet and muddy, and in the chaos of the 'fight' everyone became extremely dirty- not something the usually immaculately kept Oliver was all that used to.

Finally everyone began to wind down, except for Tito who was still bouncing around and spoiling for a scrap. Rita swatted her paw at him irritably and lay down next to Francis, who was getting very close to giving in and chasing after the Chihuahua who continued to taunt them.

Dodger sauntered over, "Hey Tito, chill out man." He sat down, and Oliver, who had been riding around on his back, slid onto the ground.

"Is it time for food now?" Einstein asked hopefully. The Great Dane was sprawled on his side, recovering from all the fun, so much activity had left him with quite the appetite, even more so than usual.

"All right, all right. You guys ready to get to work?"

"Okay Dodgie-baby, best not to leave Tito in charge of lookin' after the kid this time, huh?" Rita teased, at the risk of getting Tito all flared up again.

"Maybe we should barbeque you and see how well you babysit!" Tito shouted, jumping up in anger.

"Thing is, Tito, I'm smart enough not to go fryin' my brains," Rita got to her feet, "Come on, let's get goin'. I'm starving."

Dodger led the others through the park, keeping an eye and an ear out for opportunities for an easy meal, with Oliver trotting eagerly by his side. He looked down to the cat with a grin, loving having him around. Before long, they came onto a family of picnickers, who had left their meal almost totally unguarded as they played Frisbee nearby. An elderly lady hunched over a book was the only thing standing between the dogs and a real feast. Dodger's ears pricked in anticipation and the others gathered around him under the cover of some large bushes.

"Okay troops, we're goin' for the picnic, that meatloaf has our names written all over it. Francis, you get the old girl away from the rug, give her a performance to remember. Tito, Einstein- keep those guys busy," he motioned with a shake of his head towards the preoccupied family, "They look like they could use a couple more players."

Francis puffed out his chest, proud to undertake duties of such a theatrical nature. Einstein drooled, and licked his lips involuntarily.

Dodger turned back to Oliver, "Right kid, you're with Rita and me. We're gonna swipe ourselves a feast." The cat nodded eagerly.

As the others headed off, Dodger and Rita watched carefully for the best moment to make a move, knowing there would most likely be only a narrow window of opportunity. As the family chased after Einstein and Tito, who had made off with their toy, Dodger moved forward stealthily with Oliver close behind. He saw the old lady move away from the picnic, concerned and distracted by the apparently dying bulldog who moaned and writhed in grass, and he made his move, reaching the feast at the same time as Rita. Without a moment's hesitation, Dodger swiped the leftover meatloaf that was sitting on a plate in the middle of the rug, and Rita uncovered a large meat pie. It was a struggle to properly grip the pie in its dish, and Rita glanced around hastily to ascertain whether there was enough time to remove it. Desperate to be of some help, Oliver got stuck in with his little paws and managed to dislodge the tempting treat from its casing.

"Thanks, kid!" Rita said, somewhat muffled as she had managed to get a proper hold of the pie in her mouth. Hearing a shout from the old woman, who had turned to see the chaos that had been made of the picnic, she nudged Oliver to get him moving to safety, and made a quick dash to cover a safe distance away where Dodger was waiting.

"Hey, ya missed a bit!" Dodger laughed, noticing that a large portion of the pie had been dropped in the quick exit.

Rita frowned, looking down to see that her prize was not all there. "Still, should be enough to feed everyone. And at least I managed not to lose the kid."

They were soon joined by Tito, Francis and Einstein, who were all eager to enjoy the fruits of their labour. Oliver held back, eating a little just to be polite but not wanting to take away from a meal that meant much more to his friends that it could for him.

Dodger noticed Oliver looking a little uncomfortable. "You want to hang out for a little while, just you and me?"

"Yeah, sure, just as long as I get back in time for Jenny coming home from school." Oliver replied, brightening up a little.

"No problem, I'll get ya home." Dodger let the cat climb onto his back. "See you guys 'round."

"Later sweetie." Rita licked Dodger's cheek, and turned to Oliver, "I'll see you soon, kid." After saying their goodbyes to Oliver, the gang went their separate ways. There was still time in the day to get some more work done and bring home some loot for Fagin, but first Rita wanted to pay a visit to Evie. She figured it might be some use if she could talk to Evie about what had happened with Flint and his gang, then maybe they might be able to work out a way forward.

Rita made her way out of the park and back towards Oliver's place. Though she barked to alert Evie of her presence, she was not surprised when he calls were not met with a response- being scared of dogs as she was, Evie was not likely to come running to the sound of one barking outside. Neither could Rita really expect Georgette to respond; the poodle had no intention of being seen to socialise with common street dogs. Moving closer to Jenny's bedroom window, Rita shouted up to Evie, letting her know who it was making all the noise.

Finally, Evie got the message and opened the front door. "You know," she said, "you're not meant to come in here, the mistress won't be happy." Evie peered cautiously behind Rita, making sure that no other dogs were following after her.

"I'll be out of the way soon. Just wondered if you'd like to talk- I figured you might be a little lonely with Oliver out all day," Rita said, "We could go outside and just hang out for a while."

"Oh," said Evie, a little taken aback. She'd not really had a visitor come for the sole purpose of talking to her before. Being shy as she was, it had been comfortable for her to socialise with Oliver by her side, but this was different. Still, all her prior experiences had told her that Rita was trustworthy, and it did feel nice to be thought of. "Uh, uh yes. Okay. It would be nice to have someone to talk to- other than Georgette, that is, she's real mean."

Rita frowned. "She's still treatin' you bad? I would have thought she'd have got over herself by now."

"She doesn't really talk to me, just looks at me like I'm something dirty," said Evie, "Oliver says it's because she's worried she'll get forgotten about with me and Oliver here and a baby on the way as well. She doesn't mind Ollie so much, but she really doesn't like me."

"Guess she's used to having her own way and no competition, huh? Don't worry about it too much- and if she's givin' you too much trouble I can give her a talking to," Rita said.

Evie smiled appreciatively. "Thanks. Ollie does stick up for me too, he's not nervous of her or anything."

They went back outside, avoiding trouble with Evie's pregnant mistress, and sprawled on the lawn. It wasn't a large yard, but it was neat and tidy, every bush or tree perfectly trimmed. The garden caught the sun and it made for a very pleasant place to rest, with a gentle breeze wafting around scents from the flowers.

Rita shook the fur from her face and looked to Evie, noticing that the young cat still appeared slightly unsure about being called on to socialise with a canine. "So, sweetie, I hear you've been wanting to get out a bit more."

"I hear you're not thinking it's a good idea," said Evie quietly.

"I think you should be careful," Rita said, trying to assess whether the young cat was really comfortable enough to talk about the issue, "If you don't mind me asking, and I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but what happened?"

Evie shifted anxiously and took a little while to respond. Rita made no attempt to hurry her along, which she appreciated. "I was left behind… I had humans before, but they left. Said they were going somewhere that they couldn't take me." She fiddled with a few blades of grass with her paw as she spoke, the fidgeting making it easier. "I- I wandered around on my own for a long time, and then I ran into him. Flint." Evie swallowed uncomfortably. "He told me that he could make sure I was fed, find me safe places to sleep at night… he seemed nice enough so I went with him. He took me back to a junkyard where his gang had been staying round that time; there were a lot of dogs- at least five others and all real big. I was scared, but Flint said he needed someone like me and he'd protect me in return. I couldn't run away then, there were too many dogs, I'd have been caught in an instant and torn to pieces."

"Are you okay?" Rita asked gently as Evie fell quiet.

Evie nodded, but took a moment before she continued talking. She wanted to move on from her past, and it seemed the best way to do that was to share with someone who might understand. "Flint showed me a sheltered place to sleep… but I couldn't sleep until I knew none of those dogs were awake, I couldn't trust them. I knew I'd made a mistake in going with him, I could feel it. Next day he told me what he wanted from me. See, they'd had some trouble with another dog gang, old Flint had some history with the leader. He wanted me to spy on them, 'cause I was small and quiet and agile. I didn't really have a choice by this point, so I went along with it."

She continued on, "So I went after these other dogs, following them. I was so scared they'd find me- they came close one time, one of them caught my scent and would have had me if a car alarm hadn't spooked him. I didn't think I could risk it again so I went back to Flint, told him that I appreciated his offer but I couldn't keep it up. He waited until I turned to walk away then he grabbed me. He held me tight in his jaws, squeezing tight so I was gasping to breathe… he shook me up in the air like I was just some little toy." Evie's voice quivered and she closed her eyes tight. "I thought I was going to die for sure. He threw me in the air and I was caught by another dog, and then they just passed me around, laughing. Finally they just let me fall. Flint came up close and asked me if I'd changed my mind about leaving or if I needed more convincing. I was too scared to move, even to nod, but I managed to say 'yes'. I crawled back to my sleeping space and stayed there all night. The next day I went spying on those other dogs; I came back to Flint with information to try and reassure him that I wouldn't make a break for it, but when I went out a second time I just ran. I jumped into the back of a garbage truck and hid. I guessed it would be harder for them to track me that way, and I couldn't have run far anyway; I was so sore, all bruised from what they'd done to me. When I was a long way away I jumped out… it was a few days before Mr Foxworth found me, and I hardly ate in that time. I don't want to be trapped anymore, but if Flint found me I'm certain he wouldn't give me the chance to get away a second time. Am I just going to have to be scared all my life?" she asked sadly.

Rita was sympathetic. It was small wonder the kid didn't trust dogs. "You poor kid," she said, "If it means anything to you, Dodger doesn't feel you've not anything to worry about. The chances of bumping into any of them are remote and you've changed since then anyhow. I know I'd feel better if you had someone with you who could help you out in a worst case scenario type situation. I'd hate for you to get yourself in more trouble with that lot." Rita looked at Evie thoughtfully. "Maybe you could do something to change your appearance somehow? I'm sure Georgette's got plenty of make-up lyin' around."

"Yeah, maybe. I could get Oliver to talk to her," Evie said, "And I wouldn't mind going out with one or two of you guys, but more than that and I just couldn't enjoy myself. I know you wouldn't hurt me, I just get so jumpy with a lot of dogs around."

"I understand, kid; if you do feel up to coming out sometime, even for just a little walk round the park, we'll be happy to be around to help," said Rita kindly, "You don't have to be scared anymore, sweetie, you've got friends on your side."

Evie still didn't quite know if she really felt up to adventures of any sort- even though she so wanted to share that part of Oliver's life with him. Trapped though she might often feel in her home, at least the only dog she had to deal with was the harmless if not pleasant Georgette. All the same, it was a nice feeling to know that Rita wanted to help- and the fact that she felt able to talk about the trauma of her past told Evie that she was making real progress… and real friends.


	3. Lost

In the early hours of the morning, Oliver was woken by the sound of barking outside. Grumbling, he buried his face in his paws and tried to block it out. He lay there for a few minutes, trying to ignore the horrible noise, before it dawned in him that the sound was coming from _right _outside. Bleary-eyed and sleepy, Oliver got to his feet and headed to the window, where he peered through the curtains to see Dodger waiting on the pavement. The puzzled cat slipped out the window and clambered down to the street.

"Einstein's missing." Dodger said, as Oliver reached him, "You haven't seen him around here have ya?" He was tense, it had been long enough that it was obvious something was not right. Remembering how easily Einstein had gotten disorientated earlier added to the concerns.

"What? You mean you haven't seen him since the afternoon?" Oliver was surprised, and knew that if Dodger was coming around at this time of night that he must be seriously worried. "I've not seen him."

With a soft 'flump' Evie landed on the pavement beside Oliver, startling him. "What's going on? Oliver, isn't it a bit late for mucking around with your friends?" As much as she liked the gang, there was a time and a place for everything- and three in the morning was no time to socialise.

"Hey, no one made ya get outta bed." Dodger growled. "Einstein's disappeared, and I just came round to check you guys hadn't seen him." He turned to leave. He knew that Evie meant well, but he had much more important things to think about than whether the young cat enjoyed an uninterrupted sleep or not.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise." Evie said quietly, blushing in embarrassment.

"I'll help you look for him, Dodger." Oliver said, "You coming Evie?"

Evie nodded firmly. Oliver's friends had always been kind to her, and she was keen to help in any way she could, even if it meant facing her fears.

"Thanks," Dodger forced a smile, "The more help we've got; the better. Fagin's out searchin' as well, he's gonna check the pound in the morning if we still haven't found him." The frown returned to his face, "Hopefully it won't come to that."

Oliver and Evie followed close on Dodger's heels, to where the others were waiting. Both were taken aback at the sight of a stranger amongst them; Rita had recruited her sister, Willow, to assist with the search. Oliver felt Evie tense up beside him, and moved nearer to her in reassurance. Rita was equally surprised to see Evie had come with Oliver at a time like this, considering how anxious she'd been about finding herself surrounded by the whole gang. More preoccupied with fears over Einstein, Rita shook off her worries regarding Evie and decided just to trust Dodger's judgement on the matter.

"Okay, we're gonna split up and meet back here every now and then to check in. Francis, you can go back to the barge in case Einstein goes back home. You two," Dodger turned to the cats, "come with me."

Evie gulped, and stayed close to Oliver as he moved to follow Dodger. She was extremely thankful that she wouldn't have many dogs around her at once- and especially not that stranger about whom she could not help having a bad feeling.

Rita whined softly. She'd had niggles telling her that something was not right with Einstein, and felt guilty for not thinking much of it. It wasn't that they hadn't been aware that Einstein was getting older, but no one had given much thought to what it might mean for his mental health and his ability to keep himself safe. They'd failed him, it was as simple as that, and Rita was ashamed.

"We'll see you later, Dodge," Rita said, and she exchanged a worried glance with him; it was obvious that Dodger was taking the situation badly. Not knowing how to reassure him, she headed off towards the docks, her sister close behind her. It seemed that Willow had grasped the urgency of the situation, as she was being unusually civil and had become more eager to help.

Rita searched alongside her sister for most of the night, occasionally checking back with the others in case they'd had any luck, and in the early hours of the morning taking her turn to rest and wait in the barge. It was disheartening, and as the hours passed her concerns for Einstein's safety had intensified. She had to keep reminding herself that he had always perfectly competent at moving around the city streets and there was no real reason why that evening should have been any different, but it was totally unlike Einstein for him not to come home. Rita was certain that he must have gotten lost and confused somewhere… the question was whether he was safe. This late at night, the old dog would be tired and probably scared if he couldn't find his way, and so vulnerable to the countless dangers in the city. It was a long few hours as Rita tried to get some sleep, while remaining aware of any sounds that indicated that someone was approaching. Awoken from a short and unsettled sleep, Rita heard footsteps. After an initial buzz of excitement, it was clear very quickly that it wasn't Einstein, the sounds were all wrong, far too light for a dog of his size.

"Hey Tito," she sighed, and got to her feet to greet him. "Still nothing?" It was more a statement than a question, but she still hoped that there might be some good news.

"Nah, no sign of him." Tito replied, lacking his usually boundless energy. "Dodger's takin' the cats back home so Jenny doesn't miss them when she gets up."

It was only then that Rita noticed that the sun was beginning to rise- Einstein had been lost all night.

"Ya know, Dodger's not doin' too well, he's takin' it hard." Tito said as he settled down to rest.

Rita shook her head sadly. "I guess he's feeling responsible. He sees it as his job to make sure we're all okay, but really none of us took much notice of Einstein getting so muddled in the head." She sighed, feeling guilty. "Einy seemed to be moving around better after the cold weather ended, so I guess it wasn't so obvious that there was anything going on with him." She felt a great urge to be at Dodger's side, supporting him in whatever way she could, but knew there was very little she could say or do to make the situation better. Tail hanging low, she headed up the stairs and into the new day. "I'll see you later, Tito," she said gloomily.

* * *

The search continued into the next day. Dodger accompanied Fagin to the pound, where it became apparent that Einstein had not been captured. While Dodger was relieved that Einstein had not found himself in such a place, for even the thought was enough to make most dogs shiver, it left them no closer to finding him.

By mid-morning, Dodger was exhausted and emotionally drained, but still determined not to give up the search, even for a rest break. His job was to take care of his family, and he simply couldn't stop until he knew that Einstein was home safe and sound.

"Dodge? Dodgie?"

He didn't turn around to the sound of Rita's voice, but nuzzled her neck half-heartedly as she sat down beside him. Dodger was aware of Rita studying him closely, trying to ascertain how he was holding up. He made every effort to mask the fear that he was feeling; the moment he let the outward appearance of coping slip would be the moment he'd know that it really was out of his control. A terrible voice in his head reminded him constantly that in reality there was every chance that if something had happened to Einstein that they'd never find him. There were a million places he could be- Einstein could be lying dead somewhere and they'd never know. He knew that everyone else was thinking the same, but no one would voice it. "Come on, we gotta keep searchin'."

For the following hours they wandered around, looking back over the same old places over and over again. They barely exchanged a word; several times Rita went to speak, to try and reassure Dodger somehow, but she thought better of it. Nothing could be said that would really help anyway.

"Dodge, we should meet up with the others, Francis is probably ready for a rest break," said Rita gently. She licked his ear.

Dodger nodded. "Yeah, they're probably waiting for us, it's been a while." He turned to head back to the docks and glanced over his shoulder to Rita. "You okay, Rita?"

"No, not really," she sighed, "You?"

"I'm tryin' to be." Dodger forced a smile.

As they came to the door, Dodger and Rita were stunned and relieved to be greeted by Einstein, who clumsily bounded up the stairs with his tail wagging furiously.

"Hey Dodger man, look what I found!" Tito yipped, bouncing up and down excitedly.

Dodger exhaled loudly in surprise. "Einy! Where've ya been all this time?" He jumped at the old Great Dane happily, feeling like the most enormous weight had been lifted from his chest.

"I got lost, then I had a long sleep, and then I found my way home again." Einstein said cheerfully.

"What do you mean you got lost, hon?" Rita asked, still concerned. "Were you someplace new, or did you just get confused?"

"I dunno, it's all a bit fuzzy in my head." Einstein's ears drooped slightly.

"Come on, Rita, just drop the interrogation. He's home, what else matters?" Dodger grumbled, the tight feeling returning to his chest in an instant. In truth, he was deeply worried about how easily Einstein had been getting disorientated, and that it could be the start of a general downward spiral for him, but Dodger was not prepared to talk about it. To do so would mean facing up to the inevitable- Einstein really could not be around for much longer. Besides, Dodger told himself, the old guy was probably exhausted from being out all night, sorting out the problem could wait.

"Would it not be wise to determine the cause of Einstein's misadventure so it may be avoided in the future?" Francis implored. He'd arrived back at the barge a short while before, ready for a sleep after a long day of searching.

All Dodger wanted to do was to just relax knowing that Einstein was safe, to enjoy his being home without having to worry. No chance of that now. He glared at Rita, wishing she could have just let it be, and then turned around to Francis and Tito. "Guys, can't we just deal with that tomorrow. Some have us haven't slept in ages."

Rita bristled her hackles angrily. "Fine, it can wait. Dodge, you know we're only tryin' to help, don't make a fight outta this, not now."

Opening his mouth to argue, Dodger was distracted by the sounds of footsteps- Fagin was home. In seconds, all five dogs were on top of their master, tails wagging and licking his face and hands joyfully. Fagin threw his arms around Einstein's neck and hugged him tight, the Great Dane squirming with delight as he almost squashed his friend.

"Good to have you back, Einstein!" Fagin laughed, "What did you scare us like that for?" He was thrilled to have him back safe and sound; Einstein had been Fagin's first dog, and first friend in a very long time. While Fagin didn't like to have favourites, he had a special bond with the huge Great Dane and was worried sick at the thought of never seeing him again.

As evening came, Dodger watched from a distance as the others gathered around Fagin, entranced by the story as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He wondered how long they'd have left, just the six of them. Nothing had ever mattered more to him; to Dodger his family was everything and it was _his _responsibility to look after them. The feeling that he'd failed Einstein was battling the sense that there was not a thing he could do to stop it all. Dodger was not sure which hurt more. He got to his feet, wanting to get away from the painful thoughts that were swirling around his head.

"Dodge?" Rita had turned to see Dodger leaving. She could tell he was greatly troubled by the whole thing, but felt the same old barriers go back up- Dodger didn't want to reach out to her and there was little she could do about it. Even if Dodger didn't want her support though, she needed his. After the scare they'd all had, Rita wanted the comforting presence of her family near her, but especially her best friend.

"I'm gonna go tell the kid that Einy's home safe. Don't bother waitin' up for me." Dodger headed up the steps, desperate to be away from everything that reminded him of his responsibilities and the fact that he was powerless to prevent Einstein's aging and decline. Soon enough, everything that mattered to him was sure to unravel, and he just couldn't face it.

Rita watched after him sadly, silently resisting the urge to go after him. Despite knowing that he was upset, she trusted that he'd get home quickly, back to the family that needed him.

Out in the cool evening air, Dodger was relieved to find himself alone, and the need to put on a brave face gone. He had to unwind somehow, all the fear and the stress was getting all too much for him. Anything to escape from what he was faced with, to forget. By the time Dodger arrived at Oliver's place the sun had almost completely gone down. He barked outside the window, and the young cat responded quickly, eager for news.

"Hey kid, good news- he's home." Dodger grinned, his spirits lifted immediately at seeing Oliver.

Landing down on the pavement, Oliver's face lit up as his worries left him. "Really? That's great! What happened?"

"Dunno, I guess he just got lost. He found his own way back eventually. I knew he would, Einstein knows what he's doin'."

Oliver was well aware that Dodger's assurance was feigned, but said nothing of it. "Thanks for letting me know; you guys must be pretty tired after all that, I'm surprised you're not home sleeping." He thought he saw Dodger's expression harden, but brushed it off as just his imagination.

"The others are probably sleepin' by now, but I'm stayin' out tonight. I need to get away from it all and just have a good time, no responsibilities, ya know?" Dodger stretched out casually. "You can come along, I'll show ya how to have a real good time."

"Thanks Dodge, but I think I'll give it a miss. I'm pretty tired after last night. Maybe some other time, right?"

Dodger was disappointed, but didn't show it. He figured that it would probably be easier to enjoy himself without a kid to take care of anyway, especially if he wanted to let himself unwind in female company.

"Sure, I can find the time." He winked, and started on his way. "I'm gonna hold ya to it though."

"Dodger, you say 'hello' to Einstein for me when you get back, okay?"

"Yeah, 'course, kid." Dodger said, looking back over his shoulder, "See ya 'round."

He moved on, back towards the docks, but past the turn he have taken to go back to the barge. The sounds of dogs filled the air as he approached the abandoned warehouse. As with most nights, there were many dogs off the streets getting together to let loose. There was surely no better place in the city for a dog to go to pick up women, and the thought was just too inviting. He forced himself to push his fears for the future out of his mind. What could be the harm in forgetting about it all, just for one night? It was all a bit of fun, just what he needed to get his head back where it should be. Coolly, he made his entrance, with rhythm in his step and an arrogant smirk on his face. Tonight, The Dodge was going to take this party by storm.


	4. The Aftermath

The hours dragged on, but still Dodger had not returned home. The stress of the past day had left everyone exhausted, and by this point Einstein, Francis, Tito and Fagin were fast asleep. While they had wondered where Dodger had got to, they were not particularly worried; it wasn't unusual for him to come home late or even not at all. Still, Rita lay awake, getting more and more concerned and angry. The whole incident with Einstein had been very confronting, and she was shaken. Didn't Dodger realise that she needed him now? Why was he not supporting his family when things had gotten difficult? She was almost resentful of how easily the others had managed to doze off, seemingly without a care. Rita felt alone, and frightened by the turn of events, knowing that it was a sure sign that things were changing. Without Dodger's reassuring presence, it all just got magnified in her head. She wanted him to be there for her, and she wanted so much to be there for him.

Dodger approached the barge, feeling ill. Everything had spiralled out of control incredibly fast and he was left wishing that none of it had ever happened. The last thing he'd expected was to see his mother at the warehouse. At least, he was almost certain it was his mother. It had been years since he'd seen her; it had only been that one time since she'd left him as a tiny pup, and now tonight, just the same as he remembered her. What struck Dodger most was how much like him his mother appeared to be, the way she teased the men that surrounded her was alarmingly similar to his own self-serving womanising tendencies. But, he reminded himself desperately, that didn't make him like her in any way that really mattered, Dodger would never abandon a vulnerable and dependent family member as she'd done to him all that time ago. With that nasty surprise encounter, his night out had become a huge mess, an awful mistake, and the reality of what he'd done finally dawned on him. He'd been far too desperate to escape from his responsibilities and the fear he felt to even consider all that he might be risking by having that one night of meaningless fun with whoever would have him. It hadn't helped anyhow, he now felt worse than ever. Dodger's stomach was tying itself in knots at the thought of facing Rita, but it couldn't be avoided, there was no point even trying to hide this. It hadn't been the first time he'd been with another woman since they'd gotten together, but with everyone so strung out over Einstein, Dodger doubted very much whether Rita would be in the frame of mind to just shrug it off as nothing. All he could do was hope that it would all blow over quickly.

Hearing the creaking of footsteps on the stairs, Rita lifted her head expectantly. Though she was angry that he'd just deserted them when he was needed, it was a relief to know that he was fine. Upset as he'd been, she couldn't help but worry about him. She got up to greet her mate. "Where've you been, Dodger? You know I needed you here- we all did. Or did you forget that you're meant to be the leader round here?" As she came closer she noticed a change to his scent; the smell of other dogs was all over him… and definitely female. Her expression hardened in disgust, and Dodger grimaced. His reaction all but confirmed what she feared to be true, and she felt her heart drop like a lead balloon.

"It didn't mean nothin', I promise you. I needed to escape from it all, that's all it was." he whispered back, trying to retain a cool composure.

"Did you even give me a second thought? You're not the only one struggling with all this, Dodger!" Rita was furious, but tried to keep it in check, knowing that the others were sleeping. "You left me to deal with all this while you're fooling around with other women- do you have any idea how much that hurts?"

"Look, I'm sorry. I had a moment of weakness and it just went way too far. Really, you can't feel worse about this than I do, if I could go back and undo it I would."

Rita scoffed. "Yeah, I bet you had a lousy time," she snarled, "Why don't you tell me all about it? How many was it? I know you've had more than one tonight, I can smell it on you. So how was it, baby? Picked up any pointers you can give me?"

"Hey, don't be like that. Since when did you get so uptight about being exclusive anyhow?" Dodger asked, hoping that he could cool Rita off.

"I don't believe you," Rita hissed, struggling to keep her voice down when she wanted to scream at him, "You _knew _that I was upset. The only person you care about is yourself," she knew that it wasn't completely true, but she wasn't in a state to hold herself back, "as long as you can get your kicks, it doesn't matter what anyone else is feeling. I have made so many excuses for you, just shrugged it off whenever you'd make eyes at another a woman, I accepted that you needed a bit on the side every now and then, I tried to be understanding- what more do you want from me? You know what, I don't even care what you want anymore. We're through."

Suddenly panicking as he realised that his relationship with Rita was falling apart, Dodger moved closer, but his attempt to smooth things over with a loving nuzzle was met with a dangerous glare. "Rita, I love you, you _know _that. It won't happen again, I swear." He looked to where the others were sleeping, nervously, hoping that they wouldn't wake to hear what was going on.

"Just forget it, Dodger," Rita fought back tears; the last thing she wanted was to let Dodger see her cry. She headed back to her bed, it wasn't the time or place to let things escalate further. "You know, I never thought you'd let me down, not like this. Guess I'm as stupid as you are thoughtless." She lay down, facing into her bed, not wanting to see him. Rita could hardly believe that it had all gone so wrong, and that all the trust she'd had in her most treasured friend was lost. Images of Dodger getting close to faceless, nameless strangers swirled around her mind as she closed her eyes. Even after all that they'd shared, she wasn't enough for him, and it cut deeply. If he was going to treat her like garbage, then Rita would be better off without him. Hot, silent tears ran down her cheeks as she settled in for a lonely night.

Dodger stared after her, before heading over to his own bed. He thought desperately for some way to fix things, but with no ideas forthcoming, lay down and tried to get comfortable. He thought of his mother, the image etched onto his mind, refusing to leave him alone. Maybe he was just like her after all- selfish, arrogant, thoughtless. He'd abandoned his family when they really needed him, how different could he be from the mother who'd left him as a tiny pup? Dodger promised himself that he wouldn't let them down again; if Einstein was going downhill, he'd be there all the way. The gang was his responsibility, and somehow he'd just have to learn to handle the hard times that inevitably lay ahead. He whined, deeply troubled, and looked back over towards Rita's bed. He knew she was crying, and it was hard to stop himself from going to her side to make it all better. His best intentions simply couldn't make it all better, not now. For all his need to keep up the appearance of supreme coolness, it had always been good to have her to confide in when he needed it. But that was gone now, and he could only blame himself. After years spent flitting between women with not so much as a care, none of that could compare to what he'd had with Rita. She meant the world to him, really she always had, and knowing that he'd hurt her for the sake of one night of 'freedom' left Dodger feeling disgusted with himself. They'd have to work through it… somehow.

Rita woke early the next morning, and for a moment forgot about the events of the night before. She sighed as it all came flooding back, and couldn't bring herself to get up and face Dodger. She couldn't hear the others, presumably they were still asleep, and she made up her mind to stay quietly in bed until it would be easier to avoid being alone with Dodger. Despite all the hurt she felt, Rita was keen to put her issues with Dodger to one side, at least until she knew Einstein was all right. Hearing heavy footsteps, she decided it was safe to get up.

"Morning Einy, you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, I was real tired after being lost so long. It sure is good to be home." Einstein glanced over to Dodger's bed. "See, I told you Dodger would come home! You worry too much."

Rita tried to remain cheerful for Einstein's sake, "I guess so. Maybe I wouldn't worry if you didn't disappear on us like that. We'll try and avoid that in the future, huh?"

"That sounds good, it wasn't much fun."

"We won't let it happen again, I promise. It shouldn't be too hard to keep sight of you, you're not exactly small." She smiled and stretched out, before turning back to him, "You are all right though?"

"Yes, I'm fine, just happy to be home." Einstein wagged his tail.

Rita was relieved that he was none the worse for the ordeal, Einstein was never really one to fret or mope but it was still a lot for him to go through. His positive attitude reassured her that it would all be fine, it would maybe just take a little adjustment. At least that was one less thing to worry about. She looked back over to where Dodger was sleeping and frowned. The breakdown in their relationship might not be such an easy fix.


	5. Friends

With a full day without the time to find anything to eat behind them, the gang were up and out in the city early, forced to ignore the strong desire to sleep in after all the drama. As they headed out on the back of Fagin's tricycle, there was an uncomfortable silence between Dodger and Rita as each avoided making eye contact with the other. They'd managed not to speak to one another up to that point, helped largely by the fact that Einstein was still the centre of attention. With all that had happened, Rita figured it best to avoid a public confrontation, but at the same time she dreaded getting Dodger alone and having to face the issue. He was clearly not keen on the idea either.

"Okay troops, we're gonna have to split up, it'll be easier to find food that way." Dodger remained upbeat, not wanting give the impression of anything being amiss. "Einstein, you stick with me today, best avoid a repeat of your misadventure, huh?"

As they started to go their separate ways, Rita forced herself to turn back around. "Dodger, we need to talk. I know you've been avoiding me, and if I'm honest I don't want to talk to you right now, but we gotta try and sort this out."

"Einy, just wait here. I'll just be a few minutes, okay?" Dodger said quietly.

"Are you two all right? You seem kind of sad." Einstein asked, worried.

"Hey, you know me. I'm fine." Dodger managed a smirk, which soon faded as he walked over to where Rita was waiting for him. "You doin' okay, Rita?"

"What do you think?" she growled, "I was up half the night worried about you and the whole time you were cheating on me. I just don't understand how you could do it; if nothing else, we're meant to be friends."

"I'm sorry Rita, you know I'm sorry." Dodger said, the usual smugness completely absent from his voice. "I just felt helpless, I couldn't face it- I'd never even given it a second thought, Einstein getting old an'…" He shook his head sadly. "Rita, I was terrified of losing him, and knowing I had no control at all. You guys mean everything to me, and it's my job to take care of you. I was scared, and I wanted to just forget about all of it. I thought I'd feel better if I could have a good time- no responsibilities, just a bit of fun. It went too far- I know it went too far, and I'm so sorry for doing that to you." He looked up to her, desperate to make her understand.

"I know you're sorry," Rita said, "And I know how stressed out you were over Einy, I sorta get why you'd want to just escape from everything, but you hurt me real bad, Dodge. You didn't have to go so far, but you obviously didn't even give me a second thought. I want us to get through this, but I'm gonna need some time."

Dodger nodded, understanding. It was a relief that Rita had cooled down somewhat since he came home the night before, but he knew that it would take a lot to repair the damage. "Guess I'll see ya later then?"

"Yeah," Rita turned to leave, still feeling miserable. "See ya round."

Rita was grateful for the distraction of the hustle and bustle all around her, the morning was buzzing with noise and activity. Feeling a part of it all lifted her spirits. Scrounging through rubbish bins, she quickly managed to find scraps of food to keep her hunger at bay, but never anything substantial enough to be worth taking home to the others. After a few hours it occurred to her that she hadn't thanked her sister for helping them out the night Einstein disappeared, and decided to pay her a visit.

"You really need to keep a tighter leash on that mutt of yours." Willow said snidely as she saw Rita approaching. Living at the warehouse as she did, she was well aware of what had happened.

"I didn't ask for your opinion," Rita snapped, she'd expected Willow to be gloating, she'd always had it in for Dodger. "I don't want to talk about it, I just wanted to thank you for helping us out the other night. It meant a lot."

Willow's expression softened. "You found Einstein then?"

"Yeah, he came home of his own accord yesterday afternoon. He's tired obviously, and I think from now on he's not gonna be roaming around on his own, but he's fine."

"Glad to hear it."

"Hey Willow, if you're not up to much, do you want to just hang out?" Rita asked quietly, she felt uncomfortable making the suggestion, her relationship with her sister had always been quite rocky. "I could really use the company."

Willow was taken aback but pleased. "Sure, as long as we can keep away from your human. I guess you're not wanting to be around Dodger right now, huh?

Rita tensed up angrily. "I told you, just leave it. If you just want to pick a fight I'll be happy enough on my own."

"No, you're right. I won't bring it up again."

"Good. Let's get goin' then, I've had hardly anything to eat all day."

* * *

By late afternoon, Rita and Willow had achieved very little in their search for food, though Rita had managed to swipe a purse from the back of a pram, much to the distaste of her sister who gave her a firm lecture (which was completely ignored) on how morally wrong it is to steal. Still, such disagreements kept Rita's mind from wandering back to Dodger, and it made the day easier to get through. As they turned into a quiet alley, Rita was surprised to see a familiar face.

"Good afternoon ladies," Francis said cheerfully, looking up from the pile of rubbish that he'd been sifting through.

Tito ran out from the overturned trash can, eager to see to whom Francis was talking. He was rather disappointed to see that it was only Rita and not a potential date.

"So much for splitting up." Rita scoffed, wagging her tail. "You guys found much?"

"Yeah man, check it out!" Tito excitedly dropped a tatty watch at her feet. "Still tickin' and everything!"

"It's not particularly useful though, is it?" Francis sniffed. "Fagin has several already, I don't imagine this is any less worthless than the others."

Tito immediately flew into a rage.

"So what have you got, Francis?" Rita asked, with an appreciative glance back to Willow who was holding Tito down with her paw.

The bulldog immediately became very flustered. "Oh, well, u-unfortunately my search has not been, well, terribly fruitful…" he mumbled uncomfortably.

"You're not exactly in a position to give Tito a hard time, Frankie." Rita grumbled.

Tito managed to pull himself free and bounced back over. He sniffed at the purse that Rita had dropped to the ground. "Whoa man, it's not empty! Fagin's gonna be real happy!"

"I guess so, but we've still gotta bring some food home."

"Well, if you are in need of my dramatic services I am more than happy to oblige." Francis said proudly.

Rita thought for a moment. Having Francis around to provide a distraction certainly opened up a lot more opportunities to steal something a bit more substantial than the scraps she'd been picking on all day. She knew that Willow would not very much appreciate their going near to crowds of people, but they had to eat.

"All right, it's worth a shot."

The four of them continued on, into busier parts of the city. The activity all around them made Willow nervous- in the year or so that she'd been living on the streets, she'd always made sure to keep away from humans as much as possible and very rarely strayed far from the docks around which she lived. The noise was overwhelming. She walked close to Rita, trusting her just enough to keep going.

Their ears pricked to the sounds of diners eating outdoors at a restaurant. The smells that wafted towards them were wonderful, and served to emphasise the hunger that they all felt. Rita dropped the purse to the ground.

"Willow, you mind keeping hold of our stuff while we work?" Rita asked her sister, who was still clearly out of her element.

Willow nodded, but did not look impressed, "More thieving, really? And to think I ever looked up to you."

"Since when did you care so much about humans?" Rita said, exasperated. "No one's gonna make you join in, but I'm not going to apologise for surviving the best way that I can."

"Hey, if they're eatin' at a fancy place like this, they can afford to share a meal." Tito piped up, bouncing on the spot, eager to get started.

Willow said nothing, but looked at Rita disapprovingly as she gathered up the purse and watch in her mouth and turned to find a hiding spot a short way away. Rita shook her head, there was no point in trying to reach an understanding with her sister. "OK Francis, let's see what you've got," she grinned, choosing to ignore Willow's attitude.

Francis proudly stepped up, and ran into the midst of the diners, crashing into chairs and tables as he went for maximum effect. Once he'd gained the full attention of his startled audience, he collapsed to the ground, moaning and groaning in apparent agony. Several diners leapt up to try and assist the 'dying' dog, leaving their table exposed and vulnerable, immediately catching the attention of Rita and Tito who seized the opportunity to help themselves. They made a quick getaway, carrying with them a lamb shank and a large steak, which wasn't an easy feat in Tito's case due to his small size. Francis followed a short way behind them, leaving the confused, and soon to be furious, diners wondering what on earth had just taken place. Rita loved the thrill of it all, really Willow did not know what she was missing. They kept running, past where Willow had been waiting for them, until Rita was satisfied they'd put a safe distance between themselves and their victims. She grinned as she threw down the piece of lamb. Between the three of them (Willow stubbornly refused to eat the stolen goods and no one felt any desire to encourage her otherwise), Rita, Tito and Francis polished off the lamb in a matter of minutes. It was very tasty and met with a great deal of enthusiasm. Unfortunately, it really did not go far between the three dogs, but they'd already decided to that the other piece of meat home for Dodger and Einstein. Rita lay down and watched Tito and Francis fighting over the bone that remained of their meal. The thought of returning home to the barge filled her with dread. She'd enjoyed being out, working, and just being a part of something alive and constantly moving, leaving no time to wallow in sadness over her failing relationship with Dodger. She didn't want to face another lonely night with nothing to distract her from her pain.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Willow, who nudged her shoulder. "I'm going to head home now, I'll see you round sometime."

"Okay, bye Willow. Thanks by the way, for the company."

"No problem." Willow headed off, without so much as a word to the other two, who were of little interest to her.

"Shouldn't we be going home ourselves? It is getting rather late." Francis looked at Rita enquiringly.

"You guys mind if we stay out just a little bit longer?" Rita sighed. She had been reluctant to talk to the others about what had happened, but was desperate to stay out even just a little while more. "Things aren't so great between Dodger and me right now. I just want a bit more time to be away from it all."

"What? What happened?" Tito exclaimed, surprised, "You two can't keep your paws off each other most of the time."

"He cheated on me, last night when I was upset about Einy," she said quietly, "It was with strangers and not anything serious, but I can't say it's not a kick in the guts."

"He did wha-?" Tito jumped to his feet, shouting in a rage, "He's gonna wish he never laid eyes on another woman when I'm done with him!"

"Tito! You keep outta this, I don't need anyone fighting my corner. Don't you even think about startin' something." Rita snapped.

Francis looked at Rita, concerned. "Of course there is no rush to get home. If there is anything you need, we are more than happy to be of assistance."

Put in his place, Tito had calmed down somewhat. "You wanna just hang out for a few more hours? Have a bit of fun to take your mind off it?"

Rita smiled appreciatively, and pulled Tito with her forepaws, into a playful hug. "Right, you're on," she said as she grappled with the squirming Chihuahua who gnawed at her legs.

Stashing away their loot in a secret spot for later, they trotted back into the thick of the action. Despite everything, Rita felt light and content inside. The support of her friends meant the world, and she could think of nothing she'd rather do than to run and laugh amid the city lights with them beside her.


	6. Rita and Willow

Rita returned home to the barge after a morning of hard work, ready for a quick rest before back to Willow. Over a week had passed, and the tension between Dodger and Rita was still holding up. The distraction of working the streets was welcome for Rita as she'd been feeling increasingly isolated. Not that it was anyone's intention, but it wasn't easy to avoid Dodger without avoiding everyone else for a lot of the time as well, he always seemed to be at the centre of their world. Rita spent more and more time off on her own, or more closely following Fagin around. She wondered how long she could keep it up; the loneliness was starting to get to her, but she still struggled to get past the hurt. At least Fagin enjoyed having her around; she'd spent the most part of the morning riding around in the back of the scooter and throwing herself wholeheartedly into her work whenever they stopped somewhere. Despite the recent drama between Dodger and Rita, things were actually pretty good, and it had been a good while since they'd gone without food, and Fagin was very upbeat and positive as a result. Having successfully brought her master some decent loot, Rita was keen to spend time with her sister, the only dog whom she hadn't drifted away from. Quite the contrary, they were closer than they'd been since they were small pups, largely thanks to the fact that, for the time being at least, Rita wasn't particularly bothered by Willow's strong dislike of Dodger. Willow was perfectly happy with the current arrangement, and as long as she kept a lid on the outright gloating, Rita was content to enjoy her company.

Rita came down the stairs and noticed a few flowers lying by her bed. They appeared to have been roughly pulled from the dirt somewhere, perhaps from someone's garden, as bits of soil were hanging from the ends. She sniffed at the gift Dodger had left her. He wasn't really the type for romantic gestures, but it seemed he was trying. A few cruddy flowers would do nothing to rebuild Rita's trust in him though, all it meant was that he was feeling guilty, and so, Rita thought, he should. Pushing the flowers aside, Rita lay down in her bed, and started chewing on a bagel that she'd picked up on the way home. It was a chance to really think about her present situation, which Rita knew couldn't continue like this. She hated to see him hurting, and she hated that it bothered her in the slightest after what he'd done. It was hard for Rita to get a grip on her true feelings for Dodger; one minute she pitied him for how deeply he'd been shaken by that scare over Einstein and wanting to be there for him as a friend, but then the next, she couldn't get over his apparent lack of care for his family and his supposed mate when his presence was needed. No one else seemed all that hung up on that side of things; all the other guys could see was that Dodger had been unfaithful, but to Rita that wasn't what had hurt the most. She kept her distance where she could, and spoke to him only in regards to work or anything that really couldn't be avoided.

The creaking of paws on the steps alerted Rita to the presence of someone coming home. Tito, she thought, as the sounds were not loud enough to be the much heavier Francis, Einstein or Dodger.

"Hello? Anyone home?" called Oliver into the quiet barge.

Surprised, Rita looked up from her bagel, "Oh hey, kid. Just me right now, the guys are still out."

Oliver padded over and rubbed his face affectionately against Rita's shoulder. She looked happier for it. "I just wanted to see how you guys were all going- especially Einstein."

"He's fine. He's getting old, that's all. Einstein's happy enough, not really bothered by it, but it is going to get tough."

"What about Dodger?" Oliver asked earnestly, "He seemed really weird when I saw him last."

Rita's face clouded over. "Don't worry about him. Dodger's been worryin' about Einy, and sulking because I've had enough of dealing with his garbage. He'll get over it." She changed her tone, noting the troubled look on Oliver's face, "I was actually going to head out now; my sister's expecting me. If you want to come along too, you're welcome- unless you'd rather stick around and see if Dodger makes an appearance. There's gonna be a load of other dogs where I'm going, but you'd be safe as long as you're with me."

"Sure, I'll come along with you," Oliver said, "I'm not scared of dogs."

"Just watch you don't get too overconfident, kid. Plenty of dogs out there wouldn't think twice before turnin' ya into mincemeat," said Rita darkly, "you're gonna want to keep your wits about you."

Oliver grinned, full of himself, "I know, I know. But they can't be any worse than Roscoe and DeSoto, right?"

Rita shook her head, half concerned by Oliver's underestimation of what was a dangerous world for a cat, and half amused by the cockiness that he'd picked up from Dodger somewhere along the way. "Maybe not… but don't go round these sorts of places on your own, got that? I don't want a dead cat on my conscience." She stretched out and got to her feet. "Come on, you can ride on my back, it will be quicker.

The two of them set out, Oliver riding happily on Rita's back. He hung on especially tight as Rita clambered up from the barge to the sturdier docks, not wanting to fall into the cold water below. They kept going, past Sykes' old warehouse, into a dark and grimy corner in which several run-down buildings stood. A smell of dog and damp hung in the air, far stronger than back at the barge, and Oliver became slightly tense. In front of the largest building, a warehouse, a shaggy brown dog stood on guard.

"Just over there, Ollie." Rita shook her head toward the old building, "A load of us hang out round there, street dogs from all over. My sister's been living here about a year now; a few of them do, but mostly dogs come and go."

Oliver looked over with great curiosity, but was pleased to have the security of Rita's back as a vantage point. "Your sister's the one who was helping you look for Einstein, right?"

"Yes, that's her. I gotta warn you, she's not the friendliest person you're ever going to meet. She won't hurt you, but she's pretty messed up." Rita said with a sigh, "It's not her fault; she's had a real hard life- just don't take it personally if she doesn't give you a warm welcome. It's the way she is, that's all."

"That's okay, I'm used to rudeness- I live with Georgette, remember?" Oliver said, and Rita chuckled in response.

The shaggy brown dog scoffed as Rita walked past. "So the rumours are true, then? You better keep a close eye on your little pet if you're taking him in with you."

Rita just offered the dog a glance and kept going. Oliver gripped tighter to Rita's back as she slipped through the door which was hanging on its hinges. The first room was full of dogs- nine, Oliver counted. Rita kept on through the next room and up the stairs; it was quieter up there, away from most of the canine inhabitants. Willow lifted her head from where she lay, and she frowned as she noticed the extra baggage Rita had brought along.

"What's this?" asked Willow, moodily.

"Guess I better introduce you properly. This is Oliver. Kid, this is my sister, Willow."

"Pleased to meet you," said Oliver brightly.

Willow was not impressed. No sooner than she'd finally been enjoying some quality time with Rita already there was this stupid cat muscling in on things.

"He came round to see us but no one else was home, it wouldn't have been right to just ditch him for your sake," explained Rita. She didn't expect Willow to be all that nice to Oliver, but hoped that she could at least not be hostile.

Willow sniffed at the cat and then sat back, still slightly put out. "We're not going to be able to go far with him following along behind, he's only got little legs. You don't want to be carrying that lump around all afternoon."

There was that rudeness he'd been warned about, thought Oliver.

Rita shrugged. "I'm happy to hang around here for a while, but I got no problem with taking the kid out, I'm sure he'd keep up."

After a morning's work, Rita was more than happy to kick back and chill out, and she lay down beside Willow. Oliver slid down from her back and looked around curiously. It was a dark and dingy place. There were two other dogs in there; one sleeping in a corner, softly snoring, and another who was lying alert, his eyes drifting over to them every now and then. It was a little unnerving. A third dog came through the door, taking the second's attention away from Oliver, which was a relief to the cat. Looking away from the intimidating stranger, Oliver zoned back into Rita and Willow's conversation.

"I hear that ridgeback, Leo's been around this place in the past few days," Willow was saying, "If you want a bit of rebound action, I know he'd go for it. You two had a thing one time, didn't you?

"I'm not interested in seeing other guys, Willow," Rita growled, getting annoyed, "And yes, we had a thing. More than once actually. But that doesn't matter, 'cause I really don't feel like getting involved with anyone right now."

Unperturbed, Willow carried on. "You don't have to be _involved _as such, just a little bit of fun to make you feel better. Come on, he's hot and you know it- and there's plenty of guys around if you're after something different."

Rita scoffed, "You think a bit of harmless fun is the solution here? Worked out well for a friend of mine, didn't it?" She wasn't keen to openly put Dodger down in front of Oliver, it just wouldn't be fair, but it was hard with Willow pushing buttons. "You're free and single. Why don't you go chat someone up? Like you said, Leo's fairly easy on the eyes."

That shut Willow up. She was not the type to talk to strangers- let alone make flirtatious advances, and Rita knew it. Finally getting the hint that Rita still didn't want to talk about her love life, Willow moved the conversation on, sharing all the latest gossip she'd picked up from lurking around the warehouse.

They chatted happily for a long while- though any input from Oliver was completely ignored by Willow. While Rita called her out on it, there was no way Willow would take kindly to sharing the closest thing she had to a friend with some pampered cat. In contrast to Willow's response to him, Oliver's presence caught the attention of other dogs passing through without fail; some lifted a lip in a growl before moving on, others teased and catcalled Rita, and the odd few were simply intrigued and interested in the novelty of an unusual visitor to the warehouse.

Rita noticed the large dog on the other side of the room gazing at Oliver as he had been doing before. Something about the way he looked at him made her uncomfortable, it was strangely sinister, unlike even the glares given by other disapproving canines. "We should go out and get some fresh air," she said, wanting to get away from that dog who was giving her the creeps, "You probably need to get home soon, won't you, Oliver?"

"Yeah, I don't want to miss Jenny," the cat replied.

Willow frowned moodily. As far as she was concerned, the little furball had all but ruined the time she was supposed to be spending one on one with her sister. "I can come with you some of the way, but I won't be going near his house." She gave Oliver a filthy look.

"If you really have to, Willie," Rita said, "Just try and be nice to the poor kid. He's not doin' you any harm."

Rita and Oliver moved quickly, not wanting Jenny to come home to find a cat missing. Willow sulkily carried on behind, becoming rather moody as she felt left out of the conversation the other two were having. As they came close, Willow stopped to wait in a safe, quiet alley, not wanting to get too close to humans.

It wasn't too long a wait before Rita was back. Willow rushed to her, but slowed down at the sight of the frown on her sister's face.

"You know, you can't go treatin' people like that. He's a friend of mine and he's not done anything to you." Rita scolded.

Willow bowed her head a little, hoping that she hadn't blown it with Rita after they'd been getting closer. "I can't help it, I _am _trying. It's just been nice to have you spending time with me for a change, I didn't want the cat getting in the way."

"You're not helping your cause," said Rita, and she nipped at Willow's ear. "Look, it's done a whole lot for me to have you around since Dodger went and screwed everything up. Don't know what I'd have done without you, honestly. Just cool it down a notch, okay sis?"

Willow nipped back at Rita and smiled. "Fine, but I can't help the way I am. Do you want to hang out a little longer? You can't be in a hurry to get back to that awful mutt."

"No, no hurry. We can go for something to eat," Rita said, starting to head off.

"Hey, you could stay with me," Willow suggested quietly, "If you don't want to be around Dodger, maybe it would be better," noticing Rita starting to frown she added quickly, "I'm not gonna keep on at you about it, just think about it, okay?"

Rita didn't say anything and just kept walking. She imagined coming home to yet another awkward silence as Dodger avoided even looking at her. She had a bed that was now filled with dirt from those stupid flowers, and a former mate who'd be hanging around waiting for her to take him back. The rest of the gang would gather around Dodger as usual, in awe of whatever clever feat he'd pulled off. Rita could feel herself drifting away from the family she loved, and it was all Dodger's fault. Still, she knew she couldn't leave Fagin and the others no matter what Dodger had done to hurt her. What kind of a dog could just walk away from their family? She'd done it before and she swore she'd never do it again. Something had to give- and it was Rita herself who had to start to move forward with Dodger, or her feelings of isolation would only get worse. Rita knew that what she'd said was true; she really wouldn't know how she'd have been able to stand it without Willow on her side.


	7. Flint

Willow was waiting outside the warehouse, lying on her belly and enjoying the sun on her back. She'd been spending time with Rita every single day, and felt that they'd finally turned a corner in their tumultuous relationship. While Willow had plenty of dogs whom she knew at home, she didn't have any close friends, and time spent with her sister was precious- and she was very grateful that Rita hadn't seen fit to drag that cat along with her since Oliver's first outing to the warehouse.

"Afternoon, Rita!" called Willow. She got to her feet and playfully milled around her sister as she approached, her tail wagging in circles. The usual loneliness that troubled her was lessened by her closeness to Rita, and she greeted her with a good deal of enthusiasm. It was a long time since she'd felt inclined to try and play with anyone… but she couldn't deny that it was a nice feeling.

Rita found herself frantically wagging her tail at the sight of her little sister so happy. "Hey, Will," she said, smiling, "You want to go for a walk?"

The time they'd spent together had softened Willow a little, and allowed her to trust her sister more. It was hard to move past the resentment that had built up since they were pups, but both of them felt the small change between them. Spending more time with Rita had meant that Willow was slowly building confidence around humans, opening up so much more of the city to her and allowing her to seek sustenance through avenues other than just hunting down rats and birds.

The pair set off together with wagging tails, with Rita confidently leading the way. It was actually getting to be enjoyable for her to share more of her life with Willow, and it certainly lessened the sadness she'd been feeling over Dodger's betrayal. Rita missed being close to Dodger, and still feeling on the outer of the gang, she missed everyone else too. Everything was so much more strained nowadays, and she found herself Willow's company instead simply because she couldn't stand being reminded of what had happened. She still loved Dodger, of that much Rita was certain, but the hurt had yet to fade.

Dodger arrived at the old warehouse after a quick visit to see Oliver, knowing that it was likely that Rita would be hanging around with Willow. The past week or so had been hard, aside from the sadness he felt due to the distance that had formed between himself and Rita, things had become uneasy between Dodger and the others as well. For the most part they ignored the situation, but every now and then Dodger would pick up on hints of resentment. They still rallied around him, looking to him as their leader, but something was definitely different. Probably, Dodger imagined, they were concerned that Rita might be driven away completely if the situation couldn't resolve itself soon. The fear was constantly on Dodger's mind, along with the haunting memory of seeing his mother that night. He missed having Rita to confide in, and wished they'd never attempted to take their relationship further, then maybe he'd at least still have his closest friend by his side. Now, she just didn't want to know him, and after four years spent together as trusted companions that was a tough pill to swallow. All of Dodger's attempts to reconcile with Rita had been rebuffed, and they were now simply coexisting, barely speaking. He had to hold out hope though, and the few words they did share were civil, more so than had been the case early on. Dodger had to believe that they might slowly get back the friendship that had always meant so much to him, it just might take some time… a _lot _of time.

As he came through the door, Dodger saw Rita lying, forepaws crossed, on a window ledge, her sister sat beside her. He pointedly avoided eye contact with Willow, he was struggling enough with the present situation without having to deal with insults as well. For a split second, he thought he saw a smile in Rita's eyes as she noticed him there, but then it was gone. It had occurred to Dodger that Rita's spending so much time with her sister might hinder his chances for a reconciliation, but there was really not a lot he could do about that.

"Yo Rita, I got news," he called, "The kid's got himself a new human."

"The baby's been born? How's Oliver taking it?" Rita jumped down from her perch and walked over, with Willow close behind her.

"It's a boy apparently, and very loud. Kid doesn't seem quite sure what to make of it, I reckon he's missing having all of Jenny's attention. The baby was born a few days ago, sounds like it's been pretty crazy around their place since then." Dodger casually scratched his ear with his back paw, still avoiding looking directly at Willow who stood beside Rita, her stance tense.

"Don't tell me you've gone and passed your jealous streak on to the poor kid." Rita said, half-joking.

Dodger pulled a face, pretending to be offended, "No jealous streak here, baby. I'm flawless- and you know it." He winked, and was pleased to notice that Rita did not appear put out by the flirting. "I'm gonna go round a bit later, hang out with the kid some more. Figured he might appreciate it with all that's been goin' on. You want to come?" His casual tone hid the urgency of his request well.

"If she wants to see the stupid cat, she can manage without an escort, Dodger." Willow snarled, sensing the slightly thawed atmosphere between the pair and not liking it one bit.

"Willow, I can think for myself, thanks." Rita snapped, "Just butt out, will you?" She was tempted, and she knew that sooner or later she'd have to make the effort to move forward with Dodger, but Willow's presence made it uncomfortable. For the time being, Willow was her closest confidant, and it made Rita reluctant to risk a fall out. She looked back at Dodger, hoping he'd understand. "I'll just go on my own, Dodge, maybe tomorrow. The kid's probably gonna enjoy just being with you anyhow. You don't really need me around." Rita was furious with herself for letting Willow influence her decision. As much as she loved her sister, she couldn't let her get in the way of any hope there might be for a reconciliation.

"If you change your mind, I'll be hangin' round here for a while. Otherwise I'll see ya back home."

Rita nodded, and retreated back to the window ledge where she and Willow had been resting. She was vaguely aware of her sister talking to her, but was hardly taking any of it in. Staring after Dodger as he caught up with old friends, she was unnerved to realise that she was not the only one gazing at him intently. A large dog, tall and muscular with a wiry tan coat, kept looking Dodger's way, his eyes noticeably following as he moved around. Beside this stranger was the burly white dog who had been unnervingly focused on Oliver when Rita had brought him along to the warehouse. Surely it couldn't be a coincidence, and Rita was unnerved.

"Willow, do you know that dog?" Rita nudged her sister's shoulder and gestured towards the stranger. "That guy next to him is familiar, he had his eye on Oliver the other day."

Willow looked over. "Looks familiar, I'm sure I've seen him before, but I can't place him. Anyway, I'm pretty sure everyone here was eyeing up the cat, what with him being… well, a cat."

Rita frowned. "I might be overreacting, but something just doesn't feel right. I'm gonna keep an eye on him."

Willow was not bothered by Rita's concerns and carried on with her one-sided conversation as her sister half-listened.

"You think someone else might know him?" Rita asked over the top of Willow. She got to her feet and started moving around the room, much to Willow's irritation.

"I don't know. Maybe?" Willow grumbled, "If we ask around, will you just forget about it for a while?" She might just as well have not bothered asking, for Rita was already off and looking for a familiar face to ask. Willow followed after her, up the stairs to where the hangout's more permanent residents tended to frequent.

"Who?" An old Weimaraner, asked, responding to an anxious Rita.

"Big guy, he had a couple of others with him. Tan sort of coloured fur, dark mask on his muzzle. I don't know what it is, but something about him just makes me nervous."

The Weimaraner's face hardened, "Oh, that's Flint. You'll have heard of him, but in case you need reminding, you should keep your distance. I've seen too many good dogs killed by that lot. If Flint's after Dodger for some reason, you'd better watch out." Her voice was tired and tinged with sadness, and she registered the fear that flashed in Rita's eyes at her words. "Unfortunately, this place is free to everyone. As long as he doesn't kick up any trouble in here, I can't do anything to get him out."

"I know, Athena," Rita said, trying to keep the fear from coming through in her voice, "Thanks." She turned away, anxious to get back to Dodger, to put him on guard. Had there been a reason why Flint's companion had been so fixated on Oliver that day? As she headed back down the stairs, her blood ran cold as she found that Dodger was nowhere to be seen- and neither were Flint and his two companions. She took the rest of the stairs at a run, and frantically looked around, hoping that Dodger was somewhere just out of sight, and safe, but he was gone. She crashed into Willow, who had been following close behind her, as she turned to make a hasty exit.

"Wait, slow down!" Willow demanded, confused by Rita's response. "Why would this Flint guy be after Dodger? You've never even seen him before, and I'm guessing neither has your mutt! Don't you think you're overreacting a little?"

"Willow, you remember I said our cat got himself a friend off the streets? The one who's scared of dogs? Before they found her she'd got caught up with Flint's gang, she managed to get away, but if one of them saw her when she was out that night with Dodger there could be real trouble." Rita felt ill at the thought. If Flint knew Dodger had a connection to Evie, they'd both be in grave danger. "Will, he's headin' over there! I've gotta go after them. I'm sorry, I've really got to go." She looked at Willow apologetically and ran off sniffing the air as she went to try and ascertain which way they'd gone.

"He's not worth it Rita, _please_!" Willow cried, "If Dodger's got himself in hot water it's no less than he deserves. You saw those dogs- if you try and pick a fight with them they will tear you apart."

Rita paused and looked back to her sister, "I don't care what he's done- he's family. I'm not standin' by when he could be in danger." Not expecting Willow to get it, she turned and kept running, hoping desperately that her fears would be unfounded.

Staring after her sister, Willow grew scared. Sure, it could well be that Flint's leaving at the same time as Dodger was purely coincidental, but if something was about to go down, she hated to think of her only real friend being caught up in the middle of it- and Rita was far too stupid to listen to reason and just leave Dodger to whatever might be coming to him. Those dogs were large, muscular and obviously no strangers to brawling; Willow had no doubt that if a fight broke out neither Rita nor Dodger would stand much chance.


	8. Dogfight

Rita darted around nervously, trying to pin-point the scent that she needed to focus on. She'd never been very good at tracking. While she knew that Dodger would be heading over to see Oliver, there were plenty of routes he could be taking. She didn't expect that Dodger, nor his pursuers, had gotten very far in the time since Rita had seen them last, and was hopeful that she could catch up quickly. As she moved away from the docks, Rita was startled by the sound of footsteps behind her, and spun around, snarling, fearing that she too had been followed.

"Calm down, it's just me!" Willow hissed. "Thought you might want some back up, just in case things get ugly."

"I thought you said I was overreacting?" Rita was thankful that it was only Willow, and no one threatening who'd followed her, but her sister would not be the first person she'd have chosen to back her up in a fight. Willow was all bark and no bite, and not terribly confident away from the quieter parts of the city. If they were heading up to Oliver's, she could well end up being more of a hindrance than a help. Still, Rita supposed, maybe having an extra dog on their side would at least make them appear more threatening if it came to a fight.

"Better to be safe, don't you think?" Willow frowned. Rita didn't appear all that appreciative of her support.

Rita nodded, "Thanks Willow. I think… I think they came through here, smells like Dodger." As they'd gotten further away from the warehouse, the confusing mixture of the scents of many dogs was less of an issue. Rita kept moving, and gestured for Willow to follow.

* * *

It had been a little while since Dodger first had the feeling that he was being watched, catching a glimpse of a large tan furred dog behind him as he crossed a road. He'd not seen the dog since, but the scent seemed continually present as he carried on his way, and the scent made him suspect that there was more than one following him. Knowing that most street dogs, lacking in the street savoir-faire that Dodger was proudly well endowed with, tended to avoid traffic, he changed his route slightly, making sure he stayed as close to human activity and busy roads as he could. Still, he was largely unconcerned, chances were there'd be nothing to worry about.

Dodger had made up his mind just to wander- it wasn't worth the risk to go and see Oliver, or even to return to the barge if there was someone after him. As he turned down an alley he was cut off by a large white dog. The stranger was tall and well-muscled, a feature accentuated by his smooth coat. Dodger coolly made to step around the stranger, cautious but with no outward impression of it. The white dog moved quickly to block his path.

"What's the hurry? Is your little feline friend waiting for you?" The sneer came from behind Dodger, and he turned to see the wire-haired dog whom he'd suspected of following him. "Actually- _our _little feline friend. The weasel gave us the slip a while back, and I'm hoping you can reunite me with her. Seems the cat needs to learn a lesson in loyalty."

_So this is Flint_, Dodger thought to himself. He was suddenly filled with dread, but forced himself to push it away. A third dog, a burly bullmastiff, had appeared behind Flint and was staring at Dodger with a threatening gaze.

"Sorry, can't help you there," Dodger knew that lying would do him little good if these dogs had already seen him with Evie; it wasn't exactly normal for street dogs to be hanging around with cats. "Maybe you oughtta address why people are walkin' out on you in the first place. Sounds like you've got yourself a relations problem there."

"Listen, and listen close. You were seen with the cat, no mistakin' it. And if you're not going to cooperate, maybe the little kitty's not the only one who's going to need teaching a lesson…"

* * *

Rita stuck with the scent; it seemed that Dodger, if it was actually his trail she was on still, was no longer going the direction she'd expect him to if he was going towards the Foxworths'. She felt a niggling doubt that she had been following the wrong scent the whole time, but reminded herself that if Dodger had become suspicious he would probably have changed his course. Willow quietly tagged along behind, already starting to regret her decision to join Rita. Suddenly, the sound of barking rang out, apparently not too far away. Rita and Willow lifted their heads simultaneously. Rita could feel her heart pounding as she picked up the sounds of fierce growling, and then a yelp- it was a dogfight. She broke out into a sprint, tearing towards the direction of the noise, certain that it was Dodger and that he was in serious trouble. Within seconds she was on to them; all three strangers were going at Dodger as he was trapped up against a wall. The sight filled Rita with an intense fury, and she pounced onto Flint, who was biting ferociously at the base of Dodger's neck. Surprised, the attackers withdrew slightly, allowing Dodger to get himself into a better position to retaliate. One of the dogs, a bullmastiff, turned his attention to Rita, biting at her hind leg as he pulled her to the ground. She fought back, biting the back of his neck, and was filled with courage as Willow joined her side. Flint backed off again, and his supporters followed suit, unnerved by the sudden appearance of the two hounds- they could not be sure that they would not be joined by others. Dodger slipped away, confident that Rita and Willow would follow close behind him.

Leaping out onto a slowly passing car, Dodger immediately felt safer, confident that out in the traffic there was no way the aggressors could match him. He glanced back over his shoulder to make sure Rita was behind him, and picked up his speed, knowing that they desperately needed to put some space between themselves and his attackers. He was already battered and bruised, and knew he'd be at a great disadvantage if it came to blows again. By now Flint had recovered from the surprise and was in hot pursuit, with the bullmastiff and the stocky white dog joining in the chase.

"You all right, Willow?" Rita called behind her, knowing that running over the tops of cars was way out of her sister's comfort zone.

Willow didn't reply. She was too preoccupied with keeping up, and she panted nervously. Running over the tops of cars was a new experience for her, but there was nothing else for it but to follow Rita's lead and hope for the best. It was strangely thrilling- Willow had managed to get in a few bites at those awful dogs before running off, and she was rather impressed with her own bravery. As the chase went on, however, she found herself struggling to keep going, and all the while she was terrified of being left to the mercy of those dogs.

By this time, Rita was right beside Dodger. It was an enormous relief to not have found him torn apart by Flint, and despite the fear she felt, having him near was reassuring as it always had been. They paused to allow Willow to catch up; and it was all that Flint and his companions needed to ramp up their pursuit. Rita felt a sinking feeling that Willow wouldn't be able to stay ahead of them for much longer. She exchanged a glance with Dodger and knew that he understood.

Willow crouched submissively, finally giving up on an escape and prepared to take the beating that was coming her way. She knew they would be on her in a matter of seconds. The roar of the human noise all around her was for once a welcome distraction.

Rita clashed with the bullmastiff, who was first to reach them. The force of their collision sent them both sliding over the edge of the car roof and onto the bonnet. They hardly noticed the scream of the driver as the car screeched to a stop. For a moment, the bullmastiff found himself outnumbered as Dodger leapt into the fray, snarling fiercely, but then Flint and the large white dog arrived and it turned to chaos. The fight moved away from the traffic and into a builder's yard; Flint was much more comfortable away from the threat of human activity and confidently regained control of the situation, separating Dodger from the others up on the roof of a tired building.

Dodger was already wounded from the first attack and despite the defiance of his stance and snarls, he was nervous. He was furious with himself for getting driven to this place away from his allies- not only was he vulnerable, but he could not properly tell what was happening to them. Rita was family, and in Dodger's eyes, his responsibility to protect. He braced himself as Flint smashed into him, smacking Dodger hard against a pile of bricks and crashing down on his chest again and again with ferocious blows of his paws. Dodger yelped in pain as Flint pounded into him, and fought back, biting the brute's leg and holding on stubbornly. They were joined by the white dog who'd left the bullmastiff to deal with Rita and Willow. The newcomer laid into Dodger, and as Flint grabbed the scuff of the scruffy mutt's neck and shook him, Dodger was finally unable to retaliate.

Back on the ground, Rita and Willow were fighting side by side, taking advantage of their speed and agility to avoid getting too badly overpowered by the much larger bullmastiff. Rita wondered how long they could keep it up; as soon as they tired they'd be done for, and Willow had not been in an ideal state to begin with. She stayed close to her sister, determined that she wouldn't pay the price for their involvement with Evie, but all the while tried to look around to find Dodger, who'd disappeared along with Flint and the white dog in the heat of the fight. Catching a glimpse of him up on the roof, she slipped away from underneath the bullmastiff with whom she'd been fighting and raced up the scaffolding to join him, fearing the worst. Dodger appeared limp in Flint's jaws, and was bleeding from several wounds. Rita flew at Flint in rage, clamping her jaws around his throat and forcing him to let her friend go. The monstrous dog backed to the edge of the roof at the force of the attack, just as Willow followed up the scaffolding. Seeing the opportunity and seizing it, Willow jumped at Flint, pulling him tumbling off the edge and sending herself falling after. She landed hard on her right foreleg with a thud, and lay motionless.

"Willow!" Rita cried, realising in horror that the bullmastiff was still down there.

The bullmastiff sniffed at Flint's body. As Flint had landed, his head had collided with a pile of bricks, killing him instantly. The bullmastiff ignored Willow, but sensed that she was still alive.

While the white dog was distracted, peering over the edge of the roof where his leader had disappeared, Rita and Dodger hastily clambered back down to the ground. Dodger was in agony with every movement, but the adrenaline kept him going. Getting over the shock, the white dog clumsily charged down after them. Instinctively, Dodger ran back out onto the streets, where the white dog was out of his element. _Maybe_, he thought, _if we can get him away from Willow she might stand a chance_. "Come on, Rita- move!

Making a split second decision, Rita turned her back and followed Dodger, hoping desperately that the attackers would be drawn away from Willow. She dared to hope that the bullmastiff had indeed lost interest in the fight following Flint's demise.

Willow, bruised and terrified, let out a scream as the bullmastiff approached her. She was paralysed with fear, knowing that she'd never be able to escape quickly.

In the moment it took Rita to stop and spin around to direction of her sister's cry, the large white dog slammed into her, knocking her to the ground. Caught off guard, Rita hit her head hard against the concrete and for a moment everything went black. She came to a few seconds later to find herself pinned down, the attacker heavy on her chest, and unable to defend herself from the huge dog. For the first time since the fight started she felt a cold panic in the pit of her stomach- there was no escape. She yelped loudly as the dog savagely bit the side of her face and struggled hopelessly to get free. The heat of his breath on her face was terrifying.

Thinking quickly, Dodger called out to get Rita's attention. "Rita, watch out!" He knew that she was much better equipped to deal with traffic than the vicious dog who had her pinned down, but what he had in mind still presented a huge risk. In a split second he made the decision to trust in Rita's ability to get herself out of there. Forcing himself to ignore the pain in his chest and side, Dodger charged into them, knocking the large white dog off balance and pushing both Rita and her attacker into the road.

Feeling the white dog's hold on her slacken slightly, Rita wrenched herself free, tearing her ear with a howl of pain. In a rush of adrenaline, she skilfully dodged out of the way of an oncoming car. The white dog inadvertently staggered into the way of the vehicle, and before he had a chance to react, he was pushed under the wheel by the bullmastiff who had followed Dodger's charge. Rita staggered back onto the pavement, her heart thumping, where she was met by Dodger who pressed himself up against her protectively. Dodger looked over to see the white dog dead on the road- the bullmastiff had left the scene. Willow was on her feet, stumbling into view. Exhaling in relief, Dodger put his head on Rita's shoulder, thankful that they'd somehow managed to get out of the fight alive.


	9. Stumbling Home

Panting heavily, Rita got to her feet. Her vision was obscured on one side due to a wound above her eye, which was bleeding profusely. Despite the pain, she felt relief that the ordeal was over and, in spite of everything that had happened recently, comforted by Dodger's presence beside her. For a while back there she'd been certain that she would lose him forever. But Willow… where was Willow?

"You okay, Rita?" Dodger asked, tentatively licking her cheek.

"Yeah, yeah I think so." Rita winced as she spoke. "Is Willie okay? Are you…?"

"Been better, but you should see the other guy." He smirked, but was stiff and uncomfortable in his movements, going to a great effort to mask the pain. "Willow's on her feet."

Rita looked around for Willow, whom she'd not seen since the scrap with Flint on the roof. She saw her across the road, obviously struggling to walk, with the bullmastiff helping her along. With her head pounding, and blood still steadily oozing from her face and ear, Rita went to Willow's side. She growled, still not trusting the stranger, despite his heel turn during the fight.

"You can relax, if I was going to take ya down I'd have already done it." The bullmastiff grinned, completely unconcerned.

"Rita, I think he's fine." Willow said quietly, greeting her sister with a lick. "He says he's been trying to leave Flint; him and his brother."

"What about you? Are you all right to walk on that leg?" Rita was concerned by the angle on which Willow was holding her foreleg. "If that's broken, you're gonna want to get it looked at."

Willow frowned. "I know you only want to help, but I'm not going near any human, and that includes yours."

Rita opened her mouth to try to convince her sister, but thought better of it. The last thing they needed right now was to fall out. Instead, she busied herself with licking clean Willow's wounds; loving contact that until very recently would not have been accepted. She was immeasurably relieved to know that Willow hadn't lost her life in helping her to fight for Dodger. Rita knew that she never could have forgiven herself if Willow had come to real harm because of her.

The bullmastiff spoke. "I can help you get home if you're still having trouble walking. You're from that big hangout by the docks, right? That old warehouse?"

Willow nodded appreciatively. She decided that there was no real risk to allowing the stranger to escort her, he would be greatly outnumbered by the other residents when they arrived home, and so would be no threat to them. And after all, what he said was true- if he'd wanted to cause her harm, he'd already have done so.

"We better get goin', it's gonna be a long walk." Dodger gently nudged Rita's shoulder. He was exhausted from the fight, and was well aware that neither Rita nor Willow were looking too good either. Though he had no intentions of showing it, he was shaken and knew that the ordeal was not over yet. Despite this, he felt relief that Rita was no longer pushing him away and was hopeful that things might be looking up between the two of them.

"You know," the bullmastiff said as they set off, "you guys are lucky that Flint had only bargained on having one of you to take down. You might not have been able to come away in so few pieces if there were more of us there." He grinned, excited by the turn of events after many months with little hope of escape from the tyrant who'd taken over his life. Some might find it strange that he was so quick to take to these strangers who had brought about the demise of what had been his companions, and had not long previously been engaged with him in a furious battle, but the bullmastiff was a practical person, taking the changing situation as it came. Even as he held Willow up on her feet, he could make out which wounds he himself had inflicted on her.

The four dogs travelled together at a painfully slow pace. Rita was feeling faint, her head spinning, and would stop and sit every now and then to prevent herself from falling down. Being a dog and not a doctor, she wasn't sure if it was a result of that nasty knock to her head that she'd taken or a result of losing so much blood during and after the fight, but she knew that it couldn't be a good thing. She was alarmed by her worsening condition, and despite his efforts to keep up appearances, she could tell Dodger was getting anxious too. Both Dodger and Willow were severely limping, with the latter unable to remain upright without the support of the burly stranger. The feeling of vulnerability was not a pleasant one, and they made efforts to stay as inconspicuous as possible. Should they run into hostile strangers in such a state, it would be disastrous. As they finally approached Willow's home, the group split in two.

"You sure you'll be okay, Willow?" Rita asked quietly, still wobbling on her feet. She looked over her sister lovingly. Never would Rita have imagined that Willow would have willingly chosen to fight alongside her- and in support of Dodger of all people.

For a moment, Willow considered taking advantage of the opportunity to convince Rita to stay, but thought better of it. "I'm fine. You two had better get home, your human will be worried."

Rita nodded, "You take care of yourself. Thanks, by the way; you didn't have to put yourself at risk like that."

"Don't mention it. You're family, and even if I don't always like you, it means something. I'll see you later." Willow smiled. The feeling surging through her was strange- she was battered and in pain, but oddly she was happier than she'd felt in a long time. It was a connectedness to Rita that she'd long missed, reformed in the heat of the battle they'd fought side by side. She retreated back to her home leaning against the stranger, but feeling strong in spite of everything.

With an appreciative glance over her shoulder toward Willow, Rita carried on beside Dodger. It was not far to the barge, but the journey was hard. It was slow progress with Dodger badly limping and Rita feeling increasingly dizzy. It had been a long time since they'd really talked to one another, and neither knew what to say. Until Willow left them, she'd been Rita's focus and primary concern. Now, Rita was left alone with Dodger for the first time in a long while. The dreadful fight had confirmed to her that he still meant the world to him, but she was still unsure of the way forward.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Dodger spoke. "Thanks for sticking with me back there, I know I don't deserve it after how I treated you but-" he said quietly, his head held low.

Rita cut him off, "No matter what stupid thing you might do, you're still my best friend. After everything we've been through, all those times when you've made everything better without even knowing, I'll always fight your corner. I love you, Dodge." Rita sat down again, feeling faint. The hurt that Dodger had caused her seemed so insignificant now, overshadowed by the love, gratitude and protectiveness she felt for him. She wondered if the knock to her head had addled her judgement, but still Rita knew that whatever he'd done couldn't be enough to make her walk away from everything they'd shared. "I really thought I was done for back there, I owe you big time." She grinned and bumped her head against his lovingly.

"Hey, without you- well, you and your sister, I wouldn't have stood a chance. I reckon we're even." He sat down beside her, resting for a moment. They were almost home, but the short distance remained daunting. Dodger could tell that Rita was getting weaker, and was torn between pushing to get back to the barge as soon as possible and letting her set the pace. A quick rest stop wouldn't hurt. He looked into her tired eyes and moved closer to gently lick her wounded cheek. "I love you too, Rita. I've never felt this way about anyone else, and I'm never going to."

Rita smiled, and rested her head on his, her eyes closed. She tried to ignore the throbbing pain in her head. "You know, baby, it's not so much that I was jealous. I'm not stupid- I know that what you had with those women was meaningless. But I needed you that night, and you didn't need me, and you didn't want me." She slumped down further, exhausted and struggling not to collapse to the ground. It was hard to focus on her surroundings, the world appeared to be spinning. "It hurt that you couldn't tell me what you were feeling, and you didn't even give a second thought to what I was going through."

"It was a mistake," Dodger nudged Rita back to her feet, anxious to get going. He winced in pain at the movement. "I thought I'd feel better if I let myself completely forget about everything. I figured out pretty quickly that it doesn't work. I'm sorry, Rit. Guess I had to learn the lesson the hard way."

They stumbled onwards. It was too much effort to keep speaking, so Rita instead clumsily nuzzled Dodger, letting him know that all was forgiven, and that she loved him. Understanding, Dodger returned the gesture, and slowly limped along beside her. If nothing else, they were friends again, but the relief that Dodger felt was tainted by worries over their current predicament- in truth, he couldn't see how Rita could carry on much longer, it looked to him as though she was on the verge of passing out.

Finally, they came close to the barge. Rita lay down, and the dizziness subsided just a little. Dodger sat down next to her, concerned. He hoped that they were near enough to home that they could call for help without being picked up on by dangerous strangers. He didn't feel comfortable in leaving Rita to go and bring the others; he couldn't get to the barge quickly while he was limping so badly. Dodger barked loudly, hoping that his calls would be heard quickly so there would be no need to get Rita up and moving again. Rita joined him, howling melodiously.

It was a long while before there was any sign of help coming, and Dodger came close to pushing forward, but then Tito appeared with the others a little way behind him.

"You took your time!" called Dodger, relieved.

Tito's eyes were wide as he met with his friends, both of whom were bloodied. "Whoa, man! What happened to you?"

"Oh no, have you two been fighting?" asked Einstein, sadly, "I thought you were friends."

Dodger couldn't help but laugh. "You really think we've been beatin' each other up? Come on, Einy, I'd never lay a paw on her-"

"Not in aggression anyway…" Rita mumbled with a weak smile. "It was Flint-"

"Good grief!" exclaimed Francis.

"He saw me with Evie last week, thought he'd teach me a lesson. Bit off more than he could chew with me and Rita though," Dodger grinned.

"You took down Flint? Man, you're bad!" yipped Tito, bouncing up and down.

"Yeah, I know it's impressive, but can you bring Fagin round? I can hardly walk." Rita panted. She rested her head on the ground, exhausted.

Einstein dragged Fagin outside by his sleeve, and they soon came upon the wounded pair. Fagin was shocked by the sight and frantically bundled Rita, who was barely conscious, into his coat and carried her to the scooter before coming back for Dodger. With everyone else piled in, they sped off in search of help.


	10. Recovery

Coming back from the vet after an overnight stay, Dodger winced at every movement of the dilapidated tricycle. The fight had left him with several broken ribs, a nasty laceration across his shoulder that had needed stitches and several minor wounds, and he was not looking forward to being seen sporting the bandage that was wrapped around his middle. He figured he'd have talk the whole thing up a bit to impress the others. Rita was sat beside him, still groggy from the anaesthetic she'd been given at the vet so her wounds could be sewn up. Upon finding the two of them battered and bleeding out on the docks, Fagin had rushed them desperately to the Foxworth home, where a rather tired but still compassionate Winston offered his assistance in funding the necessary veterinary work. Rita could remember very little of this as she'd passed out by time they got to the Foxworths'. The worst bite wounds on the side of her face had been stitched, along with the ear that had been badly torn when she'd pulled away from the white dog. It was sore, but she was well aware that she could have come off a whole lot worse. The pair had hardly spoken since the ordeal, but Dodger was reassured by Rita's staying close to him; the recent tension between them seemed to have disappeared. He put his head on her shoulder affectionately, and she smiled slightly, not pulling away as he still half expected her to.

As they stumbled through the Foxworths' door, close on Fagin's heels, they were greeted by a concerned crowd. Oliver had been up all night with his friends, frantic, blaming himself for Dodger's getting in hot water with Flint's gang- if he'd been more careful and not taken Evie out that night, none of it would have happened. Everyone was clamouring to get the full story on what had gone down, and Rita happily left it to Dodger, who would no doubt be thrilled to have a chance to show off.

It was nice to have their friends around them again, but Rita struggled to focus on what anyone was saying. "Hey kid, you don't mind if I go and lie down somewhere?"

Oliver nodded, "'Course, just stay downstairs- Jenny's mom doesn't want you guys hanging around the baby."

"Are you all right?" Francis asked, worried.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Rita replied, staggering to her feet, "I just need some quiet, that's all." She retreated to a spot underneath the grand piano, where she could still see and faintly hear the others. She lay down, curled into a ball and almost instantly drifted to sleep.

When Rita awoke, everyone else had left the room, presumably so she wouldn't be disturbed. She heard the faint sounds of the new baby crying upstairs, but other than that, all was quiet.

Rita wandered over to a mirror in the hallway to inspect the damage. Her reflection could not be described as a pretty picture. The fur on her torn ear had been cut short so the wound could be treated, and she'd been left with significant wounds on her ear and cheek that had been stitched closed, along with several smaller nicks and scrapes. It wasn't as bad as she'd expected, but it was still a mess. She felt unusually self-conscious as she gazed at her reflection. Hopefully the scars would fade.

"You okay, babe?" Dodger called from the sofa where he was resting.

Rita frowned. "We're gonna have to fix my ears up, I'm not goin' around with them like this."

"Need help trimming it down to match?"

She came back over and lay down next to Dodger, careful not to cause him any discomfort, not that he'd let on anyway. A part of her wished she'd been able to put their fallout behind them sooner, being close to Dodger reminded her how much she'd missed him. It hadn't been all that long, not even two weeks since the night Einstein went missing, and it wasn't as if he wasn't around, but it had felt wrong to not have the connection with her closest friend that had always been there. She winced as Dodger chewed at her ear feathering and clumps of fur fell to her feet. It felt noticeably lighter.

"You should check it out, make sure you're happy with it." Dodger said, admiring his handiwork.

"Not bad." Rita said, inspecting her reflection in the mirror. It was still a mess, but improved, and at least the fur would grow back. She looked down sadly. "It's just different, that's all. Might take some getting used to."

"Rita, you look beautiful." Dodger said sincerely. "Besides, it'll all grow back soon enough."

Rita couldn't help but smile. "You're only sayin' that 'cause you're tryin' to stay on my good side." She joined him again on the sofa and lovingly nuzzled his face, a gesture which Dodger happily returned. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to just enjoy the feeling of him close to her. It was familiar and soothing.

They were interrupted by Tito leaping up onto the sofa beside them. "Ooh, you two havin' a bit of fun there, huh?" he laughed. It had taken a great deal of restraint not to jump right onto the pair, but that would have to wait until they'd healed up a bit.

"Yo Tito, shouldn't you be romancin' the champ?" Dodger said, reluctantly pulling away from Rita.

"Yeah, yeah, I've been doin' that, but she wanted to dress me up again so I got outta there." Tito grimaced at the mere thought, and then looked over to Rita, "Man, you're lookin' rough!"

"Thanks a bunch, Tito." Rita grinned, not bothering to take offense. "Hey, you don't mind checkin' up on Willow do ya? She got hurt in the fight and might need help findin' something to eat, she wasn't walking too well last night. It'd get you out of Georgette's reach for a while."

Tito groaned; Willow wasn't exactly much fun to be around, and if she was injured she'd probably be in a worse mood than usual. Still, anything was better than one of Georgette's horrific makeovers.

"Take Francis as well, you've both been cooped up all day." Dodger yawned. It was only mid-afternoon, but the lack of sleep from the night before was catching up with him. He watched Tito take off, and rested his head. He felt his eyelids drooping.

"Dodge?"

Dodger opened his eyes again. "Yeah, Rita?"

"Are we gonna be okay? I mean, how are we payin' that vet bill? We're not gonna be in debt again are we?" she asked, fearful, "It's not gonna be easy to make ends meet with you out of action."

"Relax, baby. Winston's helpin' Fagin out, guess they're friends or somethin' like that. You musta been asleep for that bit." Dodger carefully rolled onto his side, and stifled a whine at the pain of the movement. "When you're done restin' up you can take care of the troops for me. Everything's gonna be fine, I promise." He draped his foreleg over Rita's back as she settled down beside him, seemingly reassured. He couldn't quite believe it, but everything seemed to be back to normal between the two of them. Just as he closed his eyes, he was startled by Oliver's voice.

"You guys okay?" the cat asked quietly, still feeling guilt over the incident. "I- I just wanted to say I'm sorry, none of this would have happened if I hadn't brought Evie with me that night."

"Don't worry about it, kid," Dodger said, yawning again. "It all worked out all right, nothin' to hold Evie back now."

Rita motioned to Oliver with a shake of her head. "Come up here," she said gently.

Very carefully, Oliver jumped up and nestled himself under Rita's foreleg, snuggled against her chest.

"No one's blaming you, kid," she said sleepily, resting her head back down, "Guess we should have been more careful."

Sensing that he was missing something, Einstein bounded over. "Oh Rita, you're awake!"

"Just about."

"You must be pretty brave taking on twenty dogs like that," Einstein said, his eyes wide with wonder.

"Twen-?" Rita looked over at Dodger, an eyebrow raised. _Trust him to turn it all into a tall tale_. "Einy, I'm not sure it was quite that many, looked more like three to me."

"Oh, no, Dodger said it was twenty-"

"- _at least _twenty." Dodger interjected with a smirk.

Einstein nodded solemnly, "At least twenty. You must be sleepy and confused still, Rita."

Rita shook her head in exasperation. "Maybe I am. Time for another nap I guess?"

Einstein sat down beside his friends, unable to fit onto the sofa himself, and put his head down beside Dodger's and Rita's. "I'm so happy you're both OK."

"Thanks Einstein," Dodger said sleepily. "You know it would take more than that to take us down." He exhaled in contentment, and the four friends settled in for a peaceful rest.

* * *

Rita awoke from a long snooze late the next morning to the quiet of the near empty barge. Despite a deep and comfortable sleep at the Foxworths' the night before, she was still getting the anaesthetic out of her system and was tired. By this time everyone had already left for the day, bar Dodger who had also been prescribed rest. Rita's ears pricked to the faint sound of the television, and she silently listened in to the football game that Dodger was watching. The painkillers she'd been given had worn off, and her head was throbbing. She closed her eyes again, trying to block it out.

"Good afternoon, sleeping beauty!" Dodger called from Fagin's chair, relieved to have Rita awake finally- anything to break up the monotony of staying home all day. Not being able to move around much was hugely frustrating, and even after just half a day, Dodger was terribly bored.

"Hey Dodgie-baby," Rita cooed, becoming instantly aware of the lightness of her ear feathering as she lifted her head. It still felt strange. "Looks like it's just you and me." Tired and aching though she was, she managed a flirtatious smile.

"Yeah, we've got the place to ourselves for a few hours." Dodger gingerly got down from his perch and limped over towards the sofa, where there was plenty of room for the both of them.

Rita followed after him, feeling aches and pains that she hadn't expected as she got up. It seemed the full effect of the fight was catching up with her. "Pity you're s'pposed to be restin', huh?" She jumped up next to him and lay down on her side; the sofa cushions were more comfortable than they looked. Contented, she closed her eyes as Dodger lay down, half on top of her, his head against her shoulder.

"Rit? You and I are back on track, right?"

"Trust me, you'd know if we weren't. Yes, we're good. Just don't do it again, think you can manage that?"

"Absitively." He nuzzled her side, noticing several small scratches from the fight. "Give me some credit, I'm not about to risk losin' you again," he said, "You know you're the last person I'd want to hurt, right?"

"I know. And maybe I overreacted a little. I mean, what you did was wrong, but I shouldn't have cut myself off from you, not while you were still getting your head around all what was happening with Einstein. How are you doin' with all that, by the way?"

Dodger managed a half-hearted smile, "I'm fine I guess. Einy's doin' all right; maybe gettin' a bit senile but he's in good shape. Better than how he was through the winter when I think about it. It's just hard to face the fact that we probably don't have long left with him. I'd always just pushed it to the back of my mind. And I can't stand that there's nothin' I can do to stop it happening."

"You've just gotta make the most of what you've got with him. Maybe it's for the best that he got lost that night, I mean, if we're not lettin' Einstein wander 'round on his own, that's a lot of time that we might have missed out on otherwise." Rita said, "It was probably a much-needed wake-up call for all of us."

They lay there quietly for a while, just enjoying the feeling of having one another close by. Dodger was troubled by something he'd been previously unable to bring up.

"Hey Rita, you know that… that night," he paused, checking to see how she responded to the subject being brought up again before continuing. Dodger knew that Rita wouldn't really want to talk about the cause of their fall out, but at the same time he knew that he had to open up to her. He noticed her stiffen slightly, yet her expression remained soft, so he kept going, "My mother was there, I'm sure it was her. A part of me wanted to say somethin', but I couldn't do it," he scowled, "Not that she'd probably even recognise me anyway."

"Next time you should bite her from me," Rita growled, resentment for the dog who'd hurt Dodger bubbling up in an instant. "Honey, don't let it get to you, she must have been real messed up to have left you like that. It wasn't your fault." She licked his cheek, wanting to give him comfort somehow. Knowing how much Dodger would have been suffering, it was hard for Rita that she hadn't been there for him while he'd been dealing with it. Of course that had been his own fault, but she wished it could have been different.

"Ya know, she left me just so she wasn't tied down with the responsibility, and I hated it, I hated that anyone could just walk away and not give a damn at all. But that night when I saw her, she was just like me, flirtin', messin' with strangers just for the fun of it, and not a care in the world." Dodger spoke quietly. It was not something he could talk about easily, but Rita had always been unflinchingly supportive. "And I was doin' what she did; tryin' to escape from everything that mattered. It hit me bad."

"Dodge," Rita said gently but firmly, "There's a big difference between walking out on your tiny kid and having some stupid night out. I'll admit you can be a jerk at times, but you've always taken care of your family. What about Oliver? You've been there for him no matter what, there's been nothin' stopping you from walkin' away if you wanted to."

"Aside from running off with those hot dogs, and then letting him get scared half to death by you guys when he followed me home," Dodger pointed out.

"Like I said, you can be a bit of a jerk." Rita grinned as Dodger batted her with his paw. He seemed to be feeling a bit better. "But you're also loyal, and brave, and we all look up to you. You're not the leader of the gang for no reason. If it wasn't for you, I doubt I'd have survived past puppyhood."

"I am pretty great, huh?" Adequately reassured, Dodger had slipped back into his usual smug tone. "And you're not bad yourself. No matter what happens, with Einy, or anythin' else, we'll get through it. 'Cause we're a family."

"Now, that's better." Rita felt suddenly playful, and rolled onto her back and almost off the edge of the sofa cushion, wagging her tail and feigning bites at Dodger's neck. As he retaliated as well as could be expected by someone resting with broken ribs, she rolled off the rest of the way and laughed. For the first time since Einstein went missing, she felt completely content- even with the painful wounds and scruffy ears, and she wanted to share the feeling with Dodger.

Dodger was frustrated by his decreased mobility and winced as he moved too suddenly. More carefully, he hung his forelegs over the side of the sofa and pawed at Rita, who was now sat against the front of the seat and every now and then throwing her head back to lick him. Growling in jest, he jabbed her neck with his paw, tickling her and causing her to collapse to the ground. It felt wonderful to see her so happy again, and he knew that their bond was as strong as ever. "Hey Rit, I'm not comin' down there to get ya."

Still grinning from ear to ear, Rita jumped back up onto the springy sofa cushions and lay down on her back, propped up slightly the arm of the chair.

As quickly as he could manage, Dodger got up and stood over her, feeling her paw against his shoulder. He moved closer, and allowed her to draw him into a long and passionate kiss. He relaxed into her, appreciating more than ever the loving embrace that he'd so missed.


	11. On to the Future

Rita woke with a start, jolted awake from yet another nightmare. She had been back in the fight- that white dog holding her down, tearing at her, his hot breath against her face. She whined, laying her head back down. It was to be expected; she'd suffered similar nightmares about Roscoe and DeSoto all those months ago, they'd haunted her for weeks. She supposed these nightmares would be gone soon enough as well, at least she hoped so. The sounds of her sleeping companions were soothing somehow; Fagin was snoring, as were Francis and Einstein. It was familiar, safe. Rita glanced over to Dodger's bed, where he slept soundly, apparently untroubled by the recent trauma. He'd bounced back mentally almost instantly, unruffled by almost losing his life to those savage dogs, but physically he'd taken a real knock. It'd be a while yet before Dodger could be back out leading the gang, and it was obviously causing him great frustration. In the few days that they'd been resting at home, Oliver had visited them, and the time alone had enabled Dodger and Rita to re-establish their relationship, but there were only so many hours one can stare at the same walls and not become terribly bored. By now, Rita really didn't need to rest any longer, her wounds unlikely to be disturbed by running around the city, and the gang needed her to be up and working while Dodger wasn't. She'd always been a sort of second-in-command to Dodger- in his absence, even briefly, the others looked to her as a figure of authority. Rita took pleasure in the respect that her position in the gang gave her, but hoped the necessity for her being a stand-in leader would be short-lived- working the streets just wouldn't be the same without Dodger around.

By now the sun was coming up, which was just as well, as Rita didn't imagine it very likely that she'd be able to drop back off to sleep. The image of that white dog followed her around whenever she closed her eyes. She was distracted from her thoughts by the sound of someone stirring. She smiled to herself. "Morning, Tito." There was little need to look to see who had awoken, experience had told Rita that Tito was almost always the first to rise each day.

Tito yawned, "You comin' out today then?" He spoke slowly, his voice muffled- it was early enough in the day that he was not yet his usual over-energetic self, though it never really took long.

"Yeah, I think I used up all my sick leave." Rita stretched out and got to her feet.

"So I don't haveta visit Willow for ya no more?"

Rita shook her head. "Nope, I can take care of that now," she said, "I appreciate you guys checkin' up on her for me, I know she's not always easy to be around."

"How come your sister gets all the action anyway? Take me with you next time you go lookin' for a fight- I coulda taken them easy!" Tito was on his feet now, jumping around and posturing proudly.

"Sure, Tito," Rita said, rolling her eyes, "You wouldn't have lasted ten seconds, they'd bite you in half. I don't know what Dodger's been tellin' you, but it actually wasn't a whole lot of fun."

Tito was not convinced, and leaped around, putting on a fine display of his fighting moves culminating in a collision with Rita's head.

Rita groaned, she'd hoped the Chihuahua would remain sleepy for at least a little longer than this. It was a cue to get up, staying in bed would only make her a sitting target for her friend's mock aggressive outbursts.

Soon everyone was up and raring to go- except for Dodger, who ignored Fagin's call to get going. While the others happily milled around their master in the usual excitement, Dodger just sighed, readying himself for another long day. Oliver had said that he'd try and make it around today, but otherwise he could look forward to a dull stretch of doing absolutely nothing.

"You gettin' up, hon?" Rita gently nudged at his side.

"What's the point?" Dodger grumbled, carefully adjusting his position. "It's not like I'm goin' anywhere."

Rita felt immediately guilty for getting back out on the streets while Dodger was left alone in the barge all day. "Why don't you just go around in the back of the scooter? You know Fagin would be happy to have the company."

"Nah, the kid might be comin' round today. I don't want to miss him."

She licked his cheek but said nothing. She had a feeling that the coming weeks would drag on very slowly for Dodger.

* * *

Wanting an escape from Mr and Mrs Foxworth's very vocal new baby, Oliver made his way to the barge to pay a visit to his recuperating friend. He figured it must be pretty boring staying at home all day, and that a visit might be welcomed by Dodger. He'd paid him a visit a couple of days ago, when Rita was still resting up herself, but had been unable to make the trip out since as Jenny had been home and in need of his attention. For the first time since the search for Einstein, he was taking Evie into the city with him, secure in the knowledge that the dogs who had terrorized her were gone. Dodger had told him what the bullmastiff had said- that the majority of the remaining dogs in Flint's gang had next to no loyalty to their leader, and that the loss of Flint would be met with relief more than anything else. He'd also confidently stated that there would be no need to fear retribution; there was no one left who either knew Evie in the first place or had any interest in creating more trouble.

Evie was suspicious; she had no fond memories of any of the dogs in Flint's gang, and a part of her was not at all sure that the supposedly good natured bullmastiff was to be trusted. She did, however, trust Oliver and his friends, and as they assured her that she'd be safe, she summoned up the courage to join Oliver on his outing. It only seemed right to make the effort to visit when Dodger and Rita would not be hurt in the first place had it not been for the mess Evie had gotten herself into all those months ago. She knew there was no resentment, and she appreciated it. Evie had hardly left the house since Jenny took her in several months ago, and just to feel the sun on her back and take in the sights and sounds of the world all around her was thrilling. It was loud, and dirty, and congested, but it was so exciting now that she had a trusted friend by her side. She kept glancing over at Oliver, noticing the confidence in his gait as her trotted on through the city streets. He was obviously proud to be finally sharing this part of his life with her, and Evie became more and more excited as they went along. She blushed as Oliver caught her eye, it seemed she'd been staring a bit too long.

It was hard for Oliver to believe that he was out in the city with Evie after months of slowly building her confidence. The fondness he felt for Evie had been becoming ever stronger over recent weeks as her sweet and curious personality came through with her growing confidence. In her shyness, very few people got to see just how wonderful Evie was, but Oliver could see that she was special. He was entranced by her beauty; her every movement was considered and elegant, the fur that covered her small and sturdy figure was silky and gave her a soft appearance.

They approached the barge, and Evie was apprehensive. It certainly looked run down, which really she'd been expecting, but it was a startling contrast to what she'd just come from. "Is this it?" she asked.

"Yeah, this is it. My first home." Oliver smiled.

* * *

It was wonderful to be back in action after several days of sitting at home, and Rita was revelling in the joy of being part of the bustling city. Francis, Einstein and Tito followed her around happily, and by mid-afternoon they'd all eaten fairly well and had each brought Fagin (mostly useless, but no less appreciated) gifts. While it had felt odd initially for Rita to be running the show, it quickly became easy and she ended up enjoying it, feeling confident that she could keep things afloat in Dodger's absence.

With work done for the day, Rita was keen to pay Willow a visit. She'd not seen her since the fight, and although she'd been reassured by the others that Willow was getting by just fine despite her injuries, she wanted to catch up herself. While Francis and Tito headed home on the back of Fagin's trike, Rita took the long way back, with Einstein merrily lolloping along beside her. After spending so much time worrying about him over recent weeks, it was nice for Rita to have Einstein's company. She'd made up her mind to make the most of the time she had with the old Great Dane, especially as no one had any way of knowing how long that might be. Perhaps it was a sign of just how good-natured Einstein was, but he never had any of the same reluctance that the others had to see Rita's less than friendly younger sister; he was just happy to be out with friends.

Rita caught her sister's eye as she looked through the doorway. Willow had been sitting in wait, expecting a visit and knowing that Rita would be back on her feet.

"Oh Rit, what did you do to your hair?" Willow demanded, shocked to see how little of Rita's ear feathering was left. Despite her forceful tone, her tail wagged quickly, revealing how thrilled she was to see her visitor.

"The vet did it." Einstein said cheerfully.

"See, this is why you shouldn't trust humans." Willow said, staring.

Rita shook her ears uncomfortably; truth be told she wasn't all too pleased with the new look herself. "It'll grow back. Besides, it still looks better than when my ear was all torn up. What about you? You doing okay?"

"I'm great actually, still real sore, and I think I might have broken something in my paw, but I'm really good right now." Willow indeed looked very happy- more so than Rita had seen her in years, her eyes were bright and smiling. "I told you about Flash, my old friend who was chained in the yard with me? Turns out she's been with Flint all this time- that's why I recognised him. I assumed they'd attacked her, but actually she was recruited, I guess Flint figured she'd be good in a fight. Anyway, the bullmastiff- his name's Bruiser, brought her back here with him, along with his brother. Flash and I just took up were we left off, and the other two are friends as well now. It's like I've got my own family, finally after all this time." Willow was beaming.

"That's wonderful, Willow! I'm so happy for you." Rita lovingly rubbed her head against her sister's, sensing that for once Willow would accept the affectionate contact rather than push her away. It was a wonderful feeling, and worth the many months of waiting for such a breakthrough. "Guess you don't need me lookin' out for you now?"

"They've been helping me find food while I've been lame, but your friends have been quite helpful as well. I've decided that I like Einstein actually," her words brought a big grin to Einstein's face, "but the other two you can keep." Willow paused, a little embarrassed, "These past couple of weeks it's meant a lot to me to have you around. I know you're busy taking care of your human, and I'm not so lonely anymore, but I'd like us to be friends."

Rita smiled, surprised. "I'd like that too. It's about time we moved forward, just as long as you can accept that some things aren't gonna change."

"Oh, I've come to terms with the fact that you are a human-serving lowlife thief with unfortunate taste in men- but I've decided that I can live with that." Willow smirked, "Do you want to stick around and meet Flash? She should be home soon with the guys."

"Yes please, I love making new friends!" Einstein's ears pricked instantly and his tail wagged in anticipation.

It was getting late by the time Rita and Einstein headed to leave. Willow followed them outside, hobbling as she went. She stayed close to Rita, and took her to one side. For so long she'd struggled with her relationship with her sister, but now the troubles of the past just didn't seem to matter. Willow nuzzled Rita goodbye, and for a little while the two of them stood quietly in a loving embrace. "Give Dodger my well wishes, won't you?" Willow asked sheepishly, taking Rita by surprise again.

"Did you land on your head or somethin'?" Rita said with a laugh.

"I'm not saying I like the guy, but I think I may be able to move past an active dislike. I figured you wouldn't have put your life on the line for Dodger if he hadn't proven himself worthy of it at some point. You obviously mean a lot to him, and I can respect that."

"Thanks Willie, you take care yourself." She licked her sister's cheek and turned to head off, Einstein following close behind. The evening air was pleasant, there was just a gentle breeze that was cool to feel. It was a nice night to be out, and Rita was feeling like a heavy weight had been lifted from her chest, knowing that after over a year of working on it, the bond she had once shared with Willow had been formed once again. Einstein picked up on the good feeling as well, and very quickly they were nipping at one another and bounding around, tails wagging, as they carried on towards home.

The pair were greeted by Oliver as they reached the barge, with Evie following a close way behind.

"Hey kid, what are you doin' here so late? Jenny's gonna be missing you- both of you." Rita said, still wagging her tail. She'd not expected Oliver to be around by the time they got home, and despite her concerns for Jenny, she couldn't say that it wasn't a pleasant surprise.

Oliver rubbed himself against Rita's legs affectionately. "Jenny's away on school camp right now, there's no rush for us to get home. It's been pretty fun being able to hang out here for so long- we're staying for the bedtime story."

"Well in that case, I'll take you two home whenever you're ready. Best you avoid getting lost in the dark." She spoke more for Evie's benefit than Oliver's, sure that the timid little cat would do better with a more streetwise escort to accompany them.

As night came, Rita settled down next to Dodger on the bed, and snuggled up beside him. Oliver was, of course, lying draped over Dodger's back. Evie sat herself daintily between Rita's forepaws, a safe and secure place from which to enjoy the story. Rita closed her eyes and rested her head against Dodger's, quietly enjoying Sparky's adventures with Bumper the rabbit, allowing herself to completely relax. Tough times lay ahead no doubt; she wondered how Dodger would cope in the coming weeks, and deep down she knew that their fears for Einstein's future would be realised sooner or later. In that moment though, with her family around her, just enjoying a quiet evening, everything was perfect.


End file.
